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LEGENDS ■& ROMANCES 

OF BRITTANY 

LEWIS SPENCE F.R.A.I. 

AUTHOR OF "HERO TALES AND LEGENDS OF THE RHINE" 
"A DICTIONARY OF MEDIEVAL ROMANCE AND 
ROMANCE WRITERS " " THE MYTHS 
OF MEXICO AND PERU" 
ETC. ETC. 

WITH THIRTY -TWO ILLUSTRATIONS BY 

W. OTWAY CANNELL A.R.C. A.(Lond.) 




NEW YORK 
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 

II 



nr.. 



THE RIVERSIDE PRESS LIMITED, EDINBURGH 
GREAT BRITAIN 



PREFACE 

ALTHOUGH the folk-tales and legends of 
Brittany have received ample attention from 
native scholars and collectors, they have not 
as yet been presented in a popular manner to English- 
speaking readers. The probable reasons for what 
would appear to be an otherwise incomprehensible 
omission on the part of those British writers who 
make a popular use of legendary material are that 
many Breton folk-tales strikingly resemble those of 
other countries, that from a variety of considerations 
some of them are unsuitable for presentation in an 
English dress, and that most of the folk-tales proper 
certainly possess a strong family likeness to one 
another. 

But it is not the folk-tale alone which goes to make up 
the romantic literary output of a people ; their ballads, 
the heroic tales which they have woven around pas- 
sages in their national history, their legends (employing 
the term in its proper sense), along with the more 
literary attempts of their romance-weavers, their beliefs 
regarding the supernatural, the tales which cluster 
around their ancient homes and castles — all of these, 
although capable of separate classification, are akin to 
folk-lore, and I have not, therefore, hesitated to use 
what in my discretion I consider the best out of im- 
mense stores of material as being much more suited to 
supply British readers with a comprehensive view of 
Breton story. Thus, I have included chapters on the 
lore which cleaves to the ancient stone monuments 
of the country, along with some account of the monu- 
ments themselves. The Arthurian matter especially 

5 



Legends <§f Romances of Brittany 

connected with Brittany I have relegated to a separate 
chapter, and I have considered it only fitting to include 
such of the lais of that rare and human songstress 
Marie de France as deal with the Breton land. The 
legends of those sainted men to whom Brittany owes 
so much will be found in a separate chapter, in collect- 
ing the matter for which I have obtained the kindest 
assistance from Miss Helen Macleod Scott, who has 
the preservation of the Celtic spirit so much at heart. 
I have also included chapters on the interesting theme 
of the black art in Brittany, as well as on the several 
species of fays and demons which haunt its moors and 
forests ; nor will the heroic tales of its great warriors 
and champions be found wanting. To assist the reader 
to obtain the atmosphere of Brittany and in order 
that he may read these tales without feeling that he is 
perusing matter relating to a race of which he is other- 
wise ignorant, I have afforded him a slight sketch of 
the Breton environment and historical development, 
and in an attempt to lighten his passage through the 
volume I have here and there told a tale in verse, 
sometimes translated, sometimes original. 
As regards the folk-tales proper, by which I mean 
stories collected from the peasantry, I have made a 
selection from the works of Gaidoz, Sebillot, and Luzel. 
In no sense are these translations; they are rather 
adaptations. The profound inequality between Breton 
folk-tales is, of course, very marked in a collection of 
any magnitude, but as this volume is not intended to be 
exhaustive I have had no difficulty in selecting material 
of real interest. Most of these tales were collected by 
Breton folk-lorists in the eighties of the last century, 
and the native shrewdness and common sense which 
6 



Preface 

characterize much of the editors' comments upon the 
stories so carefully gathered from peasants and fisher- 
men make them deeply interesting. 

It is with a sense of shortcoming that I offer the reader 
this volume on a great subject, but should it succeed 
in stimulating interest in Breton story, and in directing 
students to a field in which their research is certain to be 
richly rewarded, I shall not regret the labour and time 
which I have devoted to my task. 

L. S. 



7 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I THE LAND, THE PEOPLE AND THEIR STORY 13 

II MENHIRS AND DOLMENS 37 

III THE FAIRIES OF BRITTANY 54 

IV SPRITES AND DEMONS OF BRITTANY 96 
V WORLD-TALES IN BRITTANY 106 

VI BRETON FOLK-TALES 156 

VII POPULAR LEGENDS OF BRITTANY 173 

VIII HERO-TALES OF BRITTANY 211 

IX THE BLACK ART AND ITS MINISTERS 241 

X ARTHURIAN ROMANCE IN BRITTANY 254 

XI THE BRETON LAYS OF MARIE DE FRANCE 283 

XII THE SAINTS OF BRITTANY 332 

XIII COSTUMES AND CUSTOMS OF BRITTANY 372 

GLOSSARY AND INDEX 393 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Graelent and the Fairy- Woman Frontispiece 

Nomenoe 24 

The Death of Marguerite in the Castle of Trogoff 34 

Raising a Menhir 44* 

The Seigneur of Nann and the Korrigan 58 

Merlin and Vivien 66 

The Fairies of Broceliande find the Little Bruno 72 

Fairies in a Breton * Houle ' 80 

The Poor Boy and the Three Fairy Damsels 88 

The Demon-Dog 102 

N'OUN DoARE AND THE PRINCESS GoLDEN Bell 112 

The Bride of Satan 144 

Gwennolaik and Nola 170 

The Devil in the Form of a Leopard appears before the 

Alchemist 178 

The Escape of King Gradlon from the Flooded City of Ys 186 

A Peasant Insurrection 196 

MORVAN RETURNS TO HIS RuiNED HoME 2I4 

The Finding of Silvestik 232 

Heloise as Sorceress 250 

King Arthur and Merlin at the Lake 256 

Tristrem and Ysonde 268 

King Arthur and the Giant of Mont-Saint-Michel 276 

The Were-Wolf 288 

Gugemar comes upon the Magic Ship 294 

I I 



Legends &f Romances of Brittany 

PAGE 

Gugemar's Assault on the Castle of Meriadus 300 

Eliduc carries Guillardun to the Forest Chapel 312 

CONVOYON AND HIS MoNKS CARRY OFF THE RELICS OF St ApOTHEMIUS 336 

St Tivisiau, the Shepherd Saint 338 

St Yves instructing Shepherd-boys in the Use of the Rosary 352 

Queen Queban stoned to Death 368 

Modern Brittany 376 

The Souls of the Dead 384 



12 



CHAPTER I : THE LAND, THE 
PEOPLE AND THEIR STORY 

THE romantic region which we are about to 
traverse in search of the treasures of legend 
was in ancient times known as Armorica, a 
Latinized form of the Celtic name, Armor (' On the 
Sea'). The Brittany of to-day corresponds to the 
departments of Finistere, Cdtes-du-Nord, Morbihan, 
Ille-et-Vilaine, and Loire-Inferieure. A popular divi- 
sion of the country is that which partitions it into 
Upper, or Eastern, and Lower, or Western, Brittany, 
and these tracts together have an area of some 13,130 
square miles. 

Such parts of Brittany as are near to the sea-coast 
present marked differences to the inland regions, where 
raised plateaux are covered with dreary and unpro- 
ductive moorland. These plateaux, again, rise into small 
ranges of hills, not of any great height, but, from 
their wild and rugged appearance, giving the impres- 
sion of an altitude much loftier than they possess. 
The coast-line is ragged, indented, and inhospitable, 
lined with deep reefs and broken by the estuaries of 
brawling rivers. In the southern portion the district 
known as 1 the Emerald Coast ' presents an almost sub- 
tropical appearance ; the air is mild and the whole region 
pleasant and fruitful. But with this exception Brittany 
is a country of bleak shores and grey seas, barren moor- 
land and dreary horizons, such a land as legend loves, 
such a region, cut off and isolated from the highways 
of humanity, as the discarded genii of ancient faiths 
might seek as a last stronghold. 

Regarding the origin of the race which peoples this 

13 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

secluded peninsula there are no wide differences of 
opinion. If we take the word ' Celt ' as describing any 
branch of the many divergent races which came under 
the influence of one particular type of culture, the true 
originators of which were absorbed among the folk they 
governed and instructed before the historic era, then 
the Bretons are ' Celts ' indeed, speaking the tongue 
known as ' Celtic ' for want of a more specific name, 
exhibiting marked signs of the possession of ' Celtic ' 
customs, and having those racial characteristics which 
the science of anthropology until recently laid down as 
certain indications of * Celtic ' relationship — the short, 
round skull, swarthy complexion, and blue or grey eyes. 
It is to be borne in mind, however, that the title 
' Celtic ' is shared by the Bretons with the fair or 
rufous Highlander of Scotland, the dark Welshman, and 
the long-headed Irishman. But the Bretons exhibit 
such special characteristics as would warrant the new 
anthropology in labelling them the descendants of that 
' Alpine ' race which existed in Central Europe in 
Neolithic times, and which, perhaps, possessed distant 
Mongoloid affinities. This people spread into nearly 
all parts of Europe, and later in some regions acquired 
Celtic speech and custom from a Celtic aristocracy. 
It is remarkable how completely this Celtic leaven 
— the true history of which is lost in the depths of 
prehistoric darkness — succeeded in impressing not 
only its language but its culture and spirit upon the 
various peoples with whom it came into contact. To 
impose a special type of civilization upon another 
race must always prove a task of almost superhuman 
proportions. To compel the use of an alien tongue 
by a conquered folk necessitates racial tact as well as 

14 



The Breton Tongue 

strength of purpose. But to secure the adoption of 
the racial spirit by the conquered, and adherence 
to it for centuries, so that men of widely divergent 
origins shall all have the same point of view, 
the same mode of thought, manner of address, aye, 
even the same fades or general racial appearance, as 
have Bretons, some Frenchmen, Cornishmen, Welsh- 
men, and Highlanders — that surely would argue an 
indwelling racial strength such as not even the Roman 
or any other world-empire might pretend to. 
But this Celtic civilization was not one and undivided. 
In late prehistoric times it evolved from one mother 
tongue two dialects which afterward displayed all the 
differences of separate languages springing from a 
common stock. These are the Goidelic, the tongue 
spoken by the Celts of Scotland, Ireland, and the Isle 
of Man, and the Brythonic, the language of the Welsh, 
the Cornish, and the people of Brittany. 

The Breton Tongue 

The Brezonek, the Brythonic tongue of Brittany, is 
undoubtedly the language of those Celtic immigrants 
who fled from Britain the Greater to Britain the Less 
to escape the rule of the Saxon invaders, and who gave 
the name of the country which they had left to that 
Armorica in which they settled. In the earliest stages 
of development it is difficult to distinguish Breton from 
Welsh. From the ninth to the eleventh centuries the 
Breton language is described as 4 Old Breton.' ' Middle 
Breton ' flourished from the eleventh to the seventeenth 
centuries, since when 'Modern Breton' has been in 
use. These stages indicate changes in the language 
more or less profound, due chiefly to admixture with 

l 5 



Legends ®f Romances of Brittany 

French. Various distinct dialects are indicated by writers 
on the subject, but the most marked difference in Breton 
speech seems to be that between the dialect of Vannes 
and that of the rest of Brittany. Such differences do 
not appear to be older than the sixteenth century. 1 

The Ancient Armoricans 

The written history of Brittany opens with the account 
of Julius Caesar. At that period (57 b.c.) Armorica was 
inhabited by five principal tribes : the Namnetes, the 
Veneti, the Osismii, the Curiosolitae, and the Redones. 
These offered a desperate resistance to Roman en- 
croachment, but were subdued, and in some cases their 
people were sold wholesale into slavery. In 56 b.c. 
the Veneti threw off the yoke and retained two of 
Caesar's officers as hostages. Caesar advanced upon 
Brittany in person, but found that he could make no 
headway while he was opposed by the powerful fleet 
of flat-bottomed boats, like floating castles, which the 
Veneti were so skilful in manoeuvring. Ships were 
hastily constructed upon the waters of the Loire, and 
a desperate naval engagement ensued, probably in the 
Gulf of Morbihan, which resulted in the decisive defeat 
of the Veneti, the Romans resorting to the stratagem 
of cutting down the enemy's rigging with sickles bound 
upon long poles. The members of the Senate of the 
conquered people were put to death as a punishment 
for their defection, and thousands of the tribesmen 
went to swell the slave-markets of Europe. 
1 Consult E. Ernault, Petite Grammaire bretonne (Saint-Brieuc, 1897); 
L. Le Clerc, Grammaire bretonne (Saint-Brieuc, 1908) ; J. P. Treasure, 
An Introduction to Breton Grammar (Carmarthen, 1903). For the 
dialect of Vannes see A. Guillevic and P. Le GofT, Grammaire bretonne 
du Dialect de Vannes (Vannes, 1902). 
16 



Samson 

Between a.d. 450 and 500, when the Roman power 
and population were dwindling, many vessels brought 
fugitives from Britain to Armorica. These people, flee- 
ing from the conquering barbarians, Saxons, Picts, 
and Scots, sought as asylum a land where a kindred 
race had not yet been disturbed by invasion. Says 
Thierry, in his Norman Conquest : " With the consent 
of the ancient inhabitants, who acknowledged them as 
brethren of the same origin, the new settlers distributed 
themselves over the whole northern coast, as far as 
the little river Coesoron, and southward as far as the 
territory of the city of the Veneti, now called Vannes. 
In this extent of country they founded a sort of separate 
state, comprising all the small places near the coast, 
but not including within its limits the great towns of 
Vannes, Nantes, and Rennes. The increase of the popu- 
lation of this western corner of the country, and the 
great number of people of the Celtic race and language 
thus assembled within a narrow space, preserved it from 
the irruption of the Roman tongue, which, under forms 
more or less corrupted, was gradually becoming preva- 
lent in every other part of Gaul. The name of Brittany 
was attached to these coasts, and the names of the 
various indigenous tribes disappeared ; while the island 
which had borne this name for so many ages now lost 
it, and, taking the name of its conquerors, began to be 
called the land of the Saxons and Angles, or, in one 
word, England." 

Samson 

One of these British immigrants was the holy Samson, 
who laboured to convert pagan Brittany to Christianity. 
He hailed from Pembrokeshire, and the legend relates 

B 17 



Legends &? Romances of Brittany 

that his parents, being childless, constructed a menhir 1 
of pure silver and gave it to the poor in the hope 
that a son might be born to them. Their desire was 
fulfilled, and Samson, the son in question, became a 
great missionary of the Church. Accompanied by forty 
monks, he crossed the Channel and landed on the 
shores of the Bay of Saint-Brieuc, a savage and 
deserted district. 

As the keel of his galley grated on the beach the Saint 
beheld a man on the shore seated at the door of a 
miserable hut, who endeavoured to attract his attention 
by signs. Samson approached the shore-dweller, who 
took him by the hand and, leading him into the 
wretched dwelling, showed him his wife and daughter, 
stricken with sickness. Samson relieved their pain, 
and the husband and father, who, despite his humble 
appearance, was chief of the neighbouring territory, 
gave him a grant of land hard by. Here, close to the 
celebrated menhir of Dol, he and his monks built their 
cells. Soon a chapel rose near the ancient seat of pagan 
worship — in later days the site of a great cathedral. 
Telio, a British monk, with the assistance of St 
Samson, planted near Dol an orchard three miles in 
length, and to him is attributed the introduction of the 
apple-tree into Brittany. Wherever the monks went 
they cultivated the soil ; all had in their mouths the 
words of the Apostle : "If any would not work, neither 
should he eat." The people admired the industry of 

1 Lit. 'long stone,' a megalithic monument. See Chapter II, 
" Menhirs and Dolmens." Students of folk-lore will recognize the 
symbolic significance of the offering. We seem to have here some 
connexion with pillar-worship, as found in ancient Crete, and the 
adoration of the Irminsul among the ancient Saxons. 

18 



Wax for Wine 



the new-comers, and from admiration they passed to 
imitation. The peasants joined the monks in tilling 
the ground, and even the brigands from the hills and 
forests became agriculturists. " The Cross and the 
plough, labour and prayer," was the motto of these 
early missionaries. 

Wax for Wine 

The monks of Dol were renowned bee-farmers, as we 
learn from an anecdote told by Count Montalembert 
in his Moines d Occident. One day when St Samson 
of Dol, and St Germain, Bishop of Paris, were convers- 
ing on the respective merits of their monasteries, St 
Samson said that his monks were such good and care- 
ful preservers of their bees that, besides the honey 
which the bees yielded in abundance, they furnished 
more wax than was used in the churches for candles 
during the year, but that the climate not being suitable 
for the growth of vines, there was great scarcity of 
wine. Upon hearing this St Germain replied: "We, 
on the contrary, produce more wine than we can con- 
sume, but we have to buy wax ; so, if you will furnish 
us with wax, we will give you a tenth of our wine." 
Samson accepted this offer, and the mutual arrangement 
was continued during the lives of the two saints. 
Two British kingdoms were formed in Armorica — 
Domnonia and Cornubia. The first embraced the 
Cdtes-du-Nord and Finistere north of the river Elorn, 
Cornubia, or Cornouaille, as it is now known, being 
situated below that river, as far south as the river Elle. 
At first these states paid a nominal homage to their 
native kings in Britain, but on the final fall of the 
British power they proclaimed a complete independence. 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 



The Vision of Jud-Hael 

A striking story relating to the migration period is told 
concerning a Cambrian chieftain of Brittany, one Jud- 
Hael, and the famous British bard Taliesin. Shortly 
after the arrival of Taliesin in Brittany Jud-Hael had 
a remarkable vision. He dreamt that he saw a high 
mountain, on the summit of which was placed a lofty 
column fixed deeply in the earth, with a base of ivory, 
and branches which reached to the heavens. The 
lower part was iron, brilliantly polished, and to it were 
attached rings of the same metal, from which were 
suspended cuirasses, casques, lances, javelins, bucklers, 
trumpets, and many other warlike trophies. The upper 
portion was of gold, and upon it hung candelabra, 
censers, stoles, chalices, and ecclesiastical symbols of 
every description. As the Prince stood admiring the 
spectacle the heavens opened and a maiden of marvel- 
lous beauty descended and approached him. 
" I salute you, O Jud-Hael," she said, "and I confide 
to your keeping for a season this column and all that it 
supports " ; and with these words she vanished. 
On the following day Jud-Hael made public his dream, 
but, like Nebuchadnezzar of old, he could find no one 
to interpret it, so he turned to the bard Taliesin as to 
another Daniel. Taliesin, says the legend, then an 
exile from his native land of Britain, dwelt on the sea- 
shore. To him came the messenger of Jud-Hael and 
said: " O thou who so truly dost interpret all things 
ambiguous, hear and make clear the strange vision 
which my lord hath seen." He then recounted Jud- 
Hael's dream to the venerable bard. 
For a time the sage sat pondering deeply, and then 
20 



Taliesin 

replied : " Thy master reigneth well and wisely, O 
messenger, but he has a son who will reign still more 
happily even than himself, and who will become one of 
the greatest men in the Breton land. The sons of his 
loins will be the fathers of powerful counts and pious 
Churchmen, but he himself, the greatest man of that 
race, shall be first a valiant warrior and later a mighty 
champion of heaven. The earlier part of his life 
shall be given to the world ; the latter portion shall 
be devoted to God." 

The prophecy of Taliesin was duly fulfilled. For Judik- 
Hael, the son of Jud-Hael, realized the bard's prediction, 
and entered the cloister after a glorious reign. 

Taliesin 

Taliesin ('Shining Forehead') was in the highest 
repute in the middle of the twelfth century, and he was 
then and afterward, unless we except Merlin, the bardic 
hero of the greatest number of romantic legends. He 
is said to have been the son of Henwg the bard, or 
St Henwg, of Caerleon-upon-Usk, and to have been 
educated in the school of Cattwg, at Llanvithin, in 
Glamorgan, where the historian Gildas was his fellow- 
pupil. Seized when a youth by Irish pirates, he is 
said, probably by rational interpretation of a later fable 
of his history, to have escaped by using a wooden 
buckler for a boat. Thus he came into the fishing weir 
of Elphin, one of the sons of Urien. Urien made him 
Elphin's instructor, and gave him an estate of land. 
But, once introduced into the Court of that great warrior- 
chief, Taliesin became his foremost bard, followed him 
in his wars, and sang his victories. He celebrates tri- 
umphs over Ida, the Anglian King of Bernicia (d. 559) 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

at Argoed about the year 547, at Gwenn-Estrad be- 
tween that year and 559, at Menao about the year 559. 
After the death of Urien, Taliesin was the bard of his 
son Owain, by whose hand Ida fell. After the death of 
all Urien's sons Taliesin retired to mourn the downfall 
of his race in Wales, dying, it is said, at Bangor Teivi, 
in Cardiganshire. He was buried under a cairn near 
Aberystwyth. 

Herve the Blind 

There is nothing improbable in the statement that 
Taliesin dwelt in Brittany in the sixth century. Many 
other British bards found a refuge on the shores of 
Britain the Less. Among these was Kyvarnion, a 
Christian, who married a Breton Druidess and who had 
a son, Herve. Herve was blind from birth, and was 
led from place to place by a w T olf which he had con- 
verted (!) and pressed into the service of Mother Church. 
One day, when a lad, Herve had been left in charge of 
his uncle's farm, when a ploughman passed him in full 
flight, crying out that a savage wolf had appeared and 
had killed the ass with which he had been ploughing. 
The man entreated Herve to fly, as the wolf was hard 
upon his heels ; but the blind youth, undaunted, ordered 
the terrified labourer to seize the animal and harness it 
to the plough with the harness of the dead ass. From 
that time the wolf dwelt among the sheep and goats on 
the farm, and subsisted upon hay and grass. 

Nomenoe 

Swarms of Irish from Ossory and Wexford began to 
arrive about the close of the fifth century, settling along 
the west and north coasts. The immigrants from 
22 



Nomenoe 

Britain the Greater formed by degrees the counties 
of Vannes, Cornouaille, Leon, and Domnonee, con- 
stituted a powerful aristocracy, and initiated a long and 
arduous struggle against the Frankish monarchs, who 
exercised a nominal suzerainty over Brittany. Louis 
the Pious placed a native chief, Nomenoe, at the head 
of the province, and a long period of peace ensued. 
But in a.d. 845 Nomenoe revolted against Charles the 
Bald, defeated him, and forced him to recognize the 
independence of Brittany, and to forgo the annual 
tribute which he had exacted. A ballad by Villemarque 
describes the incident. Like Macpherson, who in his 
enthusiasm for the fragments of Ossianic lore ' recon- 
structed' them only too well, Villemarque unfortunately 
tampered very freely with such matter as he collected, 
and it may even be that the poem on Nomenoe, for 
which he claims authority, is altogether spurious, as 
some critics consider. But as it affords a spirited picture 
of the old Breton chief the story is at least worth relating. 
The poem describes how an aged chieftain waits on the 
hills of Retz for his son, who has gone over to Rennes 
to pay the Breton tribute to the Franks. Many chariots 
drawn by horses has he taken with him, but although 
a considerable time has elapsed there is no indication 
of his return. The chieftain climbs to an eminence in 
the hope of discerning his son in the far distance, but 
no sign of his appearance is to be seen on the long white 
road or on the bleak moors which fringe it. 
The anxious father espies a merchant wending slowly 
along the highway and hails him. 

" Ha, good merchant, you who travel the land from end 
to end, have you seen aught of my son Karo, who 
has gone to conduct the tribute chariots to Rennes ? " 



23 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

' 1 Alas! chieftain, if your son has gone with the tribute 
it is in vain you wait for him, for the Franks found 
it not enough, and have weighed his head against it 
in the balance." 

The father gazes wildly at the speaker, sways, and 
falls heavily with a doleful cry. 
" Karo, my son ! My lost Karo ! " 
The scene changes to the fortress of Nomenoe, and 
we see its master returning from the chase, accompanied 
by his great hounds and laden with trophies. His bow 
is in his hand, and he carries the carcass of a boar 
upon his shoulder. The red blood drops from the 
dead beast's mouth and stains his hand. The aged 
chief, well-nigh demented, awaits his coming, and 
Nomenoe greets him courteously. 

" Hail, honest mountaineer ! " he cries. " What is your 
news? What would you with Nomenoe?" 
" I come for justice, Lord Nomenoe," replies the aged 
man. " Is there a God in heaven and a chief in 
Brittany ? There is a God above us, I know, and I 
believe there is a just Duke in the Breton land. Mighty 
ruler, make war upon the Frank, defend our country, 
and give us vengeance — vengeance for Karo my son, 
Karo, slain, decapitated by the Frankish barbarians, 
his beauteous head made into a balance-weight for 
their brutal sport." 

The old man weeps, and the tears flow down his grizzled 
beard. 

Then Nomenoe rises in anger and swears a great oath. 
" By the head of this boar, and by the arrow which 
slew him," cries he, " I will not wash this blood from 
off my hand until I free the country from mine enemies," 
Nomenoe has gone to the sea-shore and gathered 
24 



Alain Barbe-torte 

pebbles, for these are the tribute he intends to offer 
the bald King. 1 Arrived at the gates of Rennes, he 
asks that they shall be opened to him so that he 
may pay the tribute of silver. He is asked to descend, 
to enter the castle, and to leave his chariot in the 
courtyard. He is requested to wash his hands to the 
sound of a horn before eating (an ancient custom), but 
he replies that he prefers to deliver the tribute-money 
there and then. The sacks are weighed, and the third 
is found light by several pounds. 

" Ha, what is this ? " cries the Frankish castellan. " This 
sack is under weight, Sir Nomenoe." 
Out leaps Nomenoes sword from the scabbard, and 
the Frank's head is smitten from his shoulders. Then, 
seizing it by its gory locks, the Breton chief with a 
laugh of triumph casts it into the balance. His warriors 
throng the courtyard, the town is taken ; young Karo 
is avenged ! 

Alain Barbe-torte 

The end of the ninth century and the beginning of the 
tenth were remarkable for the invasions of the North- 
men. On several occasions they were driven back — 
by Salomon (d. 874), by Alain, Count of Vannes 
(d. 907) — but it was Alain Barbe-torte, ' Alain of the 
Twisted Beard,' or ' Alain the Fox' (d. 952), who 
gained the decisive victory over them, and concerning 
him an ancient ballad has much to say. It was taken 
down by Villemarque from the lips of a peasant, an 
old soldier of the Chouan leader Georges Cadoudal. 
In his youth Alain was a mighty hunter of the bear 
and the boar in the forests of his native Brittany, and 
1 Charles the Bald. 



25 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

the courage gained in this manly sport stood him in 
good stead when he came to employ it against the 
enemies of his country, the hated Northmen. Rallying 
the Bretons who lurked in the forests or hid in the 
mountain fastnesses, he led them against the enemy, 
whom he surprised near Dol in the middle of the night, 
making a great carnage among them. After this battle 
the Scandinavian invaders were finally expelled from 
the Breton land and Alain was crowned King or Arch- 
chief in 937. 

A free translation of this ballad might run as follows : 

Lurks the Fox within the wood, 

His teeth and claws are red with blood. 

Within his leafy, dark retreat 

He chews the cud of vengeance sweet. 

Oh, trenchant his avenging sword ! 
It falls not on the rock or sward, 

But on the mail of Saxon foe : 
Swift as the lightning falls the blow. 

I've seen the Bretons wield the flail, 
Scattering the bearded chaff like hail : 

But iron is the flail they wield 
Against the churlish Saxon's shield. 

I heard the call of victory 

From Michael's Mount to Elorn fly, 

And Alain's glory flies as fast 
From Gildas' church to every coast. 

Ah, may his splendour never die, 
May it live on eternally ! 

But woe that I may nevermore 
Declaim this lay on Armor's shore, 

26 



Bretons ®P Normans 

For the base Saxon hand has torn 

My tongue from out my mouth forlorn. 

But if my lips no longer frame 
The glories of our Alain's name, 

My heart shall ever sing his praise, 
Who won the fight and wears the bays ! 1 

The Saxons of this lay are, of course, the Norsemen, 
who, speaking a Teutonic tongue, would seem to the 
Celtic-speaking Bretons to be allied to the Teuton 
Franks. 

Bretons and Normans 

During the latter half of the tenth and most of the 
eleventh century the Counts of Rennes gained an 
almost complete ascendancy in Brittany, which began 
to be broken up into counties and seigneuries in the 
French manner. In 992 Geoffrey, son of Conan, Count 
of Rennes, adopted the title of Duke of Brittany. He 
married a Norman lady of noble family, by whom he 
had two sons, Alain and Eudo, the younger of whom 
demanded a share of the duchy as his inheritance. His 
brother made over to him the counties of Penthievre 
and Treguier, part of the old kingdom of Domnonia in 
the north. It was a fatal transference, for he and his 
line became remorseless enemies of the ducal house, 
with whom they carried on a series of disastrous con- 
flicts for centuries. Conan II, son of Alain, came 
under the regency of Eudo, his uncle, in infancy, but 
later turned his sword against him and his abettor, 
William of Normandy, the Conqueror. 

1 For the Breton original and the French translation from which the 
above is adapted see Villemarque, Barzaz-Breiz, p. 112. 

27 



Legends @P Romances of Brittany 

Notwithstanding the national enmity of the Normans 
and Bretons, there existed between the Dukes of 
Normandy and the Dukes of Brittany ties of affinity 
that rendered the relations between the two states 
somewhat complicated. At the time when Duke 
Robert, the father of William of Normandy, set out 
upon his pilgrimage, he had no nearer relative than 
Alain, Duke of Brittany, the father of Conan II, 
descended in the female line from Rollo, the great 
Norse leader, and to him he committed on his departure 
the care of his duchy and the guardianship of his son. 
Duke Alain declared the paternity of his ward doubtful, 
and favoured that party which desired to set him aside 
from the succession ; but after the defeat of his faction 
at Val-es-Dunes he died, apparently of poison, doubt- 
less administered by the contrivance of the friends of 
William. His son, Conan II, succeeded, and reigned 
at the period when William was making his preparations 
for the conquest of England. He was a prince of ability, 
dreaded by his neighbours, and animated by a fierce 
desire to injure the Duke of Normandy, whom he 
regarded as a usurper and the murderer of his father 
Alain. Seeing William engaged in a hazardous enter- 
prise, Conan thought it a favourable moment to declare 
war against him, and dispatched one of his chamberlains 
to him with the following message : " I hear that you 
are ready to pass the sea to make conquest of the 
kingdom of England. Now, Duke Robert, whose son 
you feign to consider yourself, on his departure for 
Jerusalem left all his inheritance to Duke Alain, my 
father, who was his cousin ; but you and your abettors 
have poisoned my father, you have appropriated to 
yourself the domain of Normandy, and have kept 
28 



The Poisoned Hunting-Horn 

possession of it until this day, contrary to all right, 
since you are not the legitimate heir. Restore to me, 
therefore, the duchy of Normandy, which belongs to 
me, or I shall levy war upon you, and shall wage it to 
extremity with all my forces." 

The Poisoned Hunting-Horn 

The Norman historians state that William was much 
startled by so hostile a message ; for even a feeble 
diversion might render futile his ambitious hopes of 
conquest. But without hesitation he resolved to 
remove the Breton Duke. Immediately upon his return 
to Conan, the envoy, gained over, doubtless, by a bribe 
of gold, rubbed poison into the inside of the horn which 
his master sounded when hunting, and, to make his evil 
measures doubly sure, he poisoned in like manner the 
Duke's gloves and his horse's bridle. Conan died a few 
days after his envoy's return, and his successor, Eudo, 
took especial care not to imitate his relative in giving 
offence to William with regard to the validity of his right ; 
on the contrary, he formed an alliance with him, a thing 
unheard of betwixt Breton and Norman, and sent his 
two sons to William's camp to serve against the English. 
These two youths, Brian and Alain, repaired to the 
rendezvous of the Norman forces, accompanied by a 
body of Breton knights, who styled them Mac-tierns. 1 
Certain other wealthy Bretons, who were not of the 
pure Celtic race, and who bore French names, as Robert 
de Vitry, Bertrand de Dinan, and Raoul de Gael, re- 
sorted likewise to the Court of the Duke of Normandy 
with offers of service. 

1 'Sons of the Chief.' MacTier is a fairly common name in Scotland 
to-day. 

29 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

Later Brittany became a bone of contention between 
France and Normandy. Hoel, the native Duke, claimed 
the protection of France against the Norman duchy. 
A long period of peace followed under Alain Fergant 
and Conan III, but on the death of the latter a fierce 
war of succession was waged (1148-56). Conan IV 
secured the ducal crown by Norman-English aid, and 
gave his daughter Constance in marriage to Geoffrey 
Plantagenet, son of Henry II of England. Geoffrey 
was crowned Duke of Brittany in 1 171, but after his 
death his son Arthur met with a dreadful fate at the 
hands of his uncle, John of England. Constance, his 
mother, the real heiress to the duchy, married again, 
her choice falling upon Guy de Thouars, and their 
daughter was wed to Pierre de Dreux, who became 
Duke, and who defeated John Lackland, the slayer of his 
wife's half-brother, under the walls of Nantes in 12 14. 

French Influence 

The country now began to flourish apace because of 
the many innovations introduced into it by the wisdom 
of its French rulers. A new way of life was adopted 
by the governing classes, among whom French manners 
and fashions became the rule. But the people at large 
retained their ancient customs, language, and dress ; 
nor have they ever abandoned them, at least in Lower 
Brittany. On the death of John III (1 341) the peace of 
the duchy was once more broken by a war of succession. 
John had no love for his half-brother, John of Montfort, 
and bequeathed the ducal coronet to his niece, Joan 
of Penthievre, wife of Charles of Blois, nephew of Philip 
VI of France. This precipitated a conflict between the 
rival parties which led to years of bitter strife. 
30 



Bertrand Du Guesclin 



The War of the Two Joans 

Just as two women, Fredegonda and Brunhilda, swayed 
the fortunes of Neustria and Austrasia in Merovingian 
times, and Mary and Elizabeth those of England and 
Scotland at a later day, so did two heroines arise to 
uphold the banners of either party in the civil strife 
which now convulsed the Breton land. England took 
the side of Montfort and the French that of Charles. 
Almost at the outset (1342) John of Montfort was 
taken prisoner, but his heroic wife, Joan of Flanders, 
grasped the leadership of affairs, and carried on a 
relentless war against her husband's enemies. After 
five years of fighting, in 1347, and two years subsequent 
to the death of her lord, whose health had given way 
after his imprisonment, she captured her arch-foe, 
Charles of Blois himself, at the battle of La Roche- 
Derrien, on the Jaudy. In this encounter she had the 
assistance of a certain Sir Thomas Dagworth and an 
English force. Three times was Charles rescued, and 
thrice was he retaken, until, bleeding from eighteen 
wounds, he was compelled to surrender. He was sent 
to London, where he was confined in the Tower for nine 
years. Meanwhile his wife, Joan, imitating her rival 
and namesake, in turn threw her energies into the 
strife. But another victory for the Montfort party was 
gained at Mauron in 1352. On the release of Charles 
of Blois in 1356 he renewed hostilities with the help 
of the famous Bertrand Du Guesclin. 

Bertrand Du Guesclin 

Bertrand Du Guesclin (c. 1320-80), Constable of France, 
divides with Bayard the Fearless the crown of medieval 

3i 



Legends &f Romances of Brittany 

French chivalry as a mighty leader of men, a great 
soldier, and a blameless knight. He was born of an 
ancient family who were in somewhat straitened 
circumstances, and in childhood was an object of 
aversion to his parents because of his ugliness. 
One night his mother dreamt that she was in posses- 
sion of a casket containing portraits of herself and her 
lord, on one side of which were set nine precious stones 
of great beauty encircling a rough, unpolished pebble. 
In her dream she carried the casket to a lapidary, 
and asked him to take out the rough stone as un- 
worthy of such goodly company ; but he advised her to 
allow it to remain, and afterward it shone forth more 
brilliantly than the lustrous gems. The later superiority 
of Bertrand over her nine other children fulfilled the 
mother's dream. 

At the tournament which was held at Rennes in 1338 
to celebrate the marriage of Charles of Blois with 
Joan of Penthievre, young Bertrand, at that time only 
some eighteen years old, unhorsed the most famous 
competitors. During the war between Blois and 
Montfort he gathered round him a band of adventurers 
and fought on the side of Charles V, doing much despite 
to the forces of Montfort and his ally of England. 
Du Guesclin's name lives in Breton legend as Gwezklen, 
perhaps the original form, and approximating to that 
on his tomb at Saint- Denis, where he lies at the feet 
of Charles V of France. In this inscription it is spelt 
" Missire Bertram du Gueaquien," perhaps a French 
rendering of the Breton pronunciation. Not a few 
legendary ballads which recount the exploits of this 
manly and romantic figure remain in the Breton 
language, and I have made a free translation of the 
32 



Bertrand Du Guesclin 

following, as it is perhaps the most interesting of the 
number : 

THE WARD OF DU GUESCLIN 

Trogoff's strong tower in English hands 

Has been this many a year, 

Rising above its subject-lands 

And held in hate and fear. 

That rosy gleam upon the sward 

Is not the sun's last kiss ; 

It is the blood of an English lord 

Who ruled the land amiss. 

" O sweetest daughter of my heart, 

My little Marguerite, 

Come, carry me the midday milk 

To those who bind the wheat." 

" O gentle mother, spare me this ! 

The castle I must pass 

Where wicked Roger takes a kiss 

From every country lass." 

" Oh ! fie, my daughter, fie on thee ! 

The Seigneur would not glance 

On such a chit of low degree 

When all the dames in France 

Are for his choosing." " Mother mine, 

I bow unto your word. 

Mine eyes will ne'er behold you more. 

God keep you in His guard." 

Young Roger stood upon the tower 
Of Trogoff s grey chateau ; 
Beneath his bent brows did he lower 
Upon the scene below. 
" Come hither quickly, little page, 
Come hither to my knee. 
Canst spy a maid of tender age? 
Ha ! she must pay my fee." 

c 33 



ends &* Romances of Brittany 

Fair Marguerite trips swiftly by 

Beneath the castle shade, 

When villain Roger, drawing nigh, 

Steals softly on the maid. 

He seizes on the milking-pail 

She bears upon her head ; 

The snow-white flood she must bewail, 

For all the milk is shed. 

" Ah, cry not, pretty sister mine, 

There's plenty and to spare 

Of milk and eke of good red wine 

Within my castle fair. 

Ah, feast with me, or pluck a rose 

Within my pleasant garth, 

Or stroll beside yon brook which flows 

In brawling, sylvan mirth." 

" Nor feast nor flowers nor evening air 

I wish ; I do entreat, 

Fair Seigneur, let me now repair 

To those who bind the wheat." 

"Nay, damsel, fill thy milking-pail : 

The dairy stands but here. 

Ah, foolish sweeting, wherefore quail, 

For thou hast naught to fear ? " 

The castle gates behind her close, 

And all is fair within ; 

Above her head the apple glows, 

The symbol of our sin. 

" O Seigneur, lend thy dagger keen, 

That I may cut this fruit." 

He smiles and with a courteous mien 

He draws the bright blade out. 

She takes it, and in earnest prayer 
Her childish accents rise : 
" O mother, Virgin, ever fair, 
Pray, pray, for her who dies 



THE DEATH OF MARGUERITE IN THE CASTLE OF TROGOFF 



Bertrand Du Guesclin 

For honour ! " Then the blade is drenched 
With blood most innocent. 
Vile Roger, now, thine ardour quenched, 
Say, art thou then content ? 

" Ha, I will wash my dagger keen 

In the clear-running brook. 

No human eye hath ever seen, 

No human eye shall look 

Upon this gore." He takes the blade 

From out that gentle heart, 

And hurries to the river's shade. 

False Roger, why dost start? 

Beside the bank Du Guesclin stands, 

Clad in his sombre mail. 

" Ha, Roger, why so red thy hands, 

And why art thou so pale ? " 

" A beast I've slain." " Thou liest, hound ! 

But I a beast will slay." 

The woodland's leafy ways resound 

To echoings of fray. 

Roger is slain. TrogofT's chateau 

Is level with the rock. 

Who can withstand Du Guesclin's blow, 

What towers can brave his shock ? 

The combat is his only joy, 

The tournament his play. 

Woe unto those who would destroy 

The peace of Brittany ! 

In the decisive battle of Auray (1364) Charles was 
killed and Du Guesclin taken prisoner. John of 
Montfort, son of the John who had died, became Duke 
of Brittany. But he had to face Oliver de Clisson, 
round whom the adherents of Blois rallied. From a 
war the strife degenerated into a vendetta. Oliver 
de Clisson seized the person of John V and imprisoned 

35 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

him. But in the end John was liberated and the line of 
Blois was finally crushed. 



J 



Anne of Brittany 
The next event of importance in Breton history is the 
enforced marriage of Anne of Brittany, Duchess of that 
country in her own right, to Charles VIII of France, 
son of Louis XI, which event took place in 1491. 
Anne, whose father, Duke Francis II, had but recently 
died, had no option but to espouse Charles, and on his 
death she married Louis XII, his successor. Francis I, 
who succeeded Louis XII on the throne of France, and 
who married Claude, daughter of Louis XII and Anne, 
annexed the duchy in 1532, providing for its privileges. 
But beneath the cramping hand of French power the 
privileges of the province were greatly reduced. From 
this time the history of Brittany is merged in that of 
France, of which country it becomes one of the com- 
ponent parts in a political if not a racial sense. 
We shall not hi this place deal with the people of 
modern Brittany, their manners and customs, reserving 
the subject for a later chapter, but shall ask the reader 
to accompany us while we traverse the enchanted ground 
of Breton story. 



36 



CHAPTER II : MENHIRS AND 
DOLMENS 

IN the mind of the general reader Brittany is un- 
alterably associated with the prehistoric stone 
monuments which are so closely identified with 
its folk-lore and national life. In other parts of the 
world similar monuments are encountered, in Great 
Britain and Ireland, Scandinavia, the Crimea, Algeria, and 
India, but nowhere are they found in such abundance as 
in Brittany, nor are these rivalled in other lands, either 
as regards their character or the space they occupy. 
To speculate as to the race which built the primitive 
stone monuments of Brittany is almost as futile as it 
would be to theorize upon the date of their erection. 1 
A generation ago it was usual to refer all European 
megalithic monuments to a ' Celtic ' origin, but European 
ethnological problems have become too complicated of 
late years to permit such a theory to pass unchallenged, 
especially now that the term ' Celt ' is itself matter for 
fierce controversy. In the immediate neighbourhood 
of certain of these monuments objects of the Iron Age 
are recovered from the soil, while near others the finds 
are of Bronze Age character, so that it is probably 
correct to surmise that their construction continued 
throughout a prolonged period. 

What Menhirs and Dolmens are 

Regarding the nomenclature of the several species of 

megalithic monuments met with in Brittany some 

1 That it was Neolithic seems undoubted, and in all probability 
Alpine — i.e. the same race as presently inhabits Brittany. See Dottin, 
Anciens Peuples de V Europe (Paris, 1916). 

37 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

definitions are necessary. A menhir is a rude monolith 
set up on end, a great single stone, the base of which 
is buried deep in the soil. A dolmen is a large, table- 
shaped stone, supported by three, four, or even five 
other stones, the bases of which are sunk in the earth. 
In Britain the term 'cromlech ' is synonymous with that 
of ' dolmen,' but in France and on the Continent gener- 
ally it is exclusively applied to that class of monument 
for which British scientists have no other name than 
'stone circles.' The derivation of the words from 
Celtic and their precise meaning in that tongue may 
assist the reader to arrive at their exact significance. 
Thus ' menhir ' seems to be derived from the Welsh 
or Brythonic maen, 'a stone,' and Mr, 'long,' and 
'dolmen' from Breton taol y ' table,' and men, ' a stone.' 1 
' Cromlech ' is also of Welsh or Brythonic origin, and 
is derived from crom y ' bending ' or ' bowed ' (hence 
'laid across'), and Heck, 'a flat stone.' The alle'e 
couverte is a dolmen on a large scale. 

The Nature of the Monuments 
The nature of these monuments and the purpose for 
which they were erected were questions which power- 
fully exercised the minds of the antiquaries of a century 
ago, who fiercely contended for their use as altars, open- 
air temples, and places of rendezvous for the discussion 
of tribal affairs. The cooler archaeologists of a later 
day have discarded the majority of such theories as 
untenable in the light of hard facts. The dolmens, 
they say, are highly unsuitable for the purpose of altars, 
and as it has been proved that this class of monument 
1 But tolmen in Cornish meant ( pole of stone.' 

38 



The Nature of the Monuments 

was invariably covered in prehistoric times by an 
earthen tumulus its ritualistic use is thereby rendered 
improbable. Moreover, if we chance upon any rude 
carving or incised work on dolmens we observe that it 
is invariably executed on the lower surface of the table 
stone, the upper surface being nearly always rough, 
unhewn, often naturally rounded, and as unlike the 
surface of an altar as possible. 

Recent research has established the much more reason- 
able theory that these monuments are sepulchral in 
character, and that they mark the last resting-places of 
persons of tribal importance, chiefs, priests, or celebrated 
warriors. Occasionally legend assists us to prove the 
mortuary character of menhir and dolmen. But, with- 
out insisting any further for the present upon the 
purpose of these monuments, let us glance at the more 
widely known of Brittany's prehistoric structures, not 
so much in the manner of the archaeologist as in that 
of the observant traveller who is satisfied to view them 
as interesting relics of human handiwork bequeathed 
from a darker age, rather than as objects to satisfy the 
archaeological taste for discussion. 

For this purpose we shall select the best known groups 
of Breton prehistoric structures, and shall begin our 
excursion at the north-eastern extremity of Brittany, 
following the coast-line, on which most of the principal 
prehistoric centres are situated, and, as occasion offers, 
journeying into the interior in search of famous or 
interesting examples. 

Dol 

Dol is situated in the north of the department of Ille- 
et-Vilaine, not far from the sea-coast. Near it, in a 



39 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

field called the Champ Dolent (' Field of Woe'), stands 
a gigantic menhir, about thirty feet high and said to 
measure fifteen more underground. It is composed of 
grey granite, and is surmounted by a cross. The early 
Christian missionaries, finding it impossible to wean the 
people from frequenting pagan neighbourhoods, sur- 
mounted the standing stones with the symbol of their 
faith, and this in time brought about the result desired. 1 

The Legend of Dol 

A strange legend is connected with this rude menhir. 
On a day in the dark, uncharted past of Brittany a 
fierce battle was fought in the Champ Dolent. Blood 
ran in streams, sufficient, says the tale, to turn a mill- 
wheel in the neighbourhood of the battle-field. When 
the combat was at its height two brothers met and 
grappled in fratricidal strife. But ere they could harm 
one another the great granite shaft which now looms 
above the field rose up between them and separated 
them. 

There appears to be some historical basis for the tale. 
Here, or in the neighbourhood, a.d. 560, met Clotaire, 
King of the Franks, and his son, the rebel Chramne. 
The rebellious son was signally defeated. He had 
placed his wife and two little daughters in a dwelling 
hard by, and as he made his way thence to convey 
them from the field he was captured. He was instantly 
strangled, by order of his brutal father, in the sight 
of his wife and little ones, who were then burned alive 
in the house where they had taken refuge. The Champ 
Dolent does not belie its name, and even thirteen 

1 Ostensibly, at least ; but see the remarks upon modern pagan 
survivals in Chapter IX, p. 246. 

40 



Camaret 

centuries and a half have failed to obliterate the memory 
of a savage and unnatural crime, which, its remoteness 
notwithstanding, fills the soul with loathing against its 
perpetrators and with deep pity for the hapless and 
innocent victims. 

A Subterranean Dolmeit Chapel 
At Plouaret, in the department of Cdtes-du-Nord, is 
a curious subterranean chapel incorporating a dolmen. 
The dolmen was formerly partially embedded in a 
tumulus, and the chapel, erected in 1702, was so con- 
structed that the great table-stone of the dolmen has 
become the chapel roof, and the supporting stones form 
two of its sides. The crypt is reached by a flight of 
steps, and here may be seen an altar to the Seven 
Sleepers, represented by seven dolls of varying size. 
The Bretons have a legend that this structure dates from 
the creation of the world, and they have embodied this 
belief in a ballad, in which it is piously affirmed that 
the shrine was built by the hand of the Almighty at 
the time when the world was in process of formation. 

Camaret 

Camaret, on the coast of Finistere, is the site of no 
less than forty-one standing stones of quartz, which 
outline a rectangular space 600 yards in length at its 
base. Many stones have been removed, so that the 
remaining sides are incomplete. None of these mono- 
liths is of any considerable size, however, and the site 
is not considered to be of much importance, save as 
regards its isolated character. At Penmarch, in the 
southern extremity of Finistere, there is an 'align- 
ment ' of some two hundred small stones, and a dolmen 



4i 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

of some importance is situated at Tr^gunc, but it is 
at Carnac, on the coast of Morbihan, that we arrive at 
the most important archaeological district in Brittany. 

Camac 

The Carnac district teems with prehistoric monuments, 
the most celebrated of which are those of Plouharnel, 
Concarneau, Concurrus, Locmariaquer, Kermario, Ker- 
lescant, Erdeven, and Sainte-Barbe. All these places 
are situated within a few miles of one another, and 
a good centre from which excursions can be made to 
each is the little town of Auray, with its quaint 
medieval market-house and shrine of St Roch. Archae- 
ologists, both Breton and foreign, appear to be agreed 
that the groups of stones at Meneac, Kermario, and 
Kerlescant are portions of one original and continuous 
series of alignments which extended for nearly two 
miles in one direction from south-west to north-east. 
The monolithic avenue commences quite near the 
village of M6n£ac, stretching away in eleven rows, and 
here the large stones are situated, these at first rising 
to a height of from 10 to 13 feet, and becoming 
gradually smaller, until they attain only 3 or 4 feet. 
In all there are 1 16 menhirs at Meneac. For more than 
three hundred yards there is a gap in the series, which 
passed, we come to the Kermario avenue, which con- 
sists of ten rows of monoliths of much the same size 
as those of Meneac, and 1 120 in number. 
Passing on to Kerlescant, with its thirteen rows of 
menhirs made up of 570 individual stones, we come 
to the end of the avenue and gaze backward upon 
the plain covered with these indestructible symbols of 
a forgotten past. 
42 



A Vision 



Carnac ! There is something vast, Egyptian, in the 
name ! There is, indeed, a Karnak in Egypt, celebrated 
for its Avenue of Sphinxes and its pillared temple 
raised to the goddess Mut by King Amenophis III. 
Here, in the Breton Carnac, are no evidences of 
architectural skill. These sombre stones, unworked, 
rude as they came from cliff or seashore, are not 
embellished by man's handiwork like the rich temples 
of the Nile. But there is about this stone-littered moor 
a mystery, an atmosphere no less intense than that 
surrounding the most solemn ruins of antiquity. Deeper 
even than the depths of Egypt must we sound if we are 
to discover the secret of Carnac. What mean these 
stones? What means faith? What signifies belief? 
What is the answer to the Riddle of Man ? In the 
words of Cayot Delandre, a Breton poet : 

Tout cela eut un sens, et traduisit 

Une pens£e ; mais cle de ce mystere, 

Ou est elle? et qui pourrait dire aujourd'hui 

Si jamais elle se retrouvera ? 1 

A Vision 

Over this wild, heathy track, covered with the blue 
flowers of the dwarf gentian, steals a subtle change. 
Nor air nor heath has altered. The lichen-covered 
grey stones are the same. Suddenly there arises the 
burden of a low, fierce chant. A swarm of skin-clad 
figures appears, clustering around a gigantic object 

1 Which might be rendered : 

All here is symbol ; these grey stones translate 
A thought ineffable, but where the key ? 
Say, shall it be recovered soon or late, 
To ope the temple of this mystery ? 



43 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

which they are painfully dragging toward a deep pit 
situated at the end of one of the enormous alleys of 
monoliths. On rudely shaped rollers rests a huge stone 
some twenty feet in length, and this they drag across 
the rough moor by ropes of hide, lightening their 
labours by the chant, which relates the exploits of the 
warrior-chief who has lately been entombed in this 
vast pantheon of Carnac. The menhir shall serve for 
his headstone. It has been vowed to him by the 
warriors of his tribe, his henchmen, who have fought 
and hunted beside him, and who revere his memory. 
This stone shall render his fame immortal. 
And now the task of placing the huge monolith in 
position begins. Ropes are attached to one extremity, 
and while a line of brawny savages strains to raise this, 
others guide that end of the monolith destined for 
enclosure in the earth toward the pit which has been 
dug for its reception. Higher and higher rises the 
stone, until at last it sinks slowly into its earthy bed. 
It is held in an upright position while the soil is packed 
around it and it is made secure. Then the barbarians 
stand back a space and gaze at it from beneath their 
low brows, well pleased with their handiwork. He 
whom they honoured in life rests not unrecognized in 
death. 

The Legend of Carnac 

The legend of Carnac which explains these avenues of 
monoliths bears a resemblance to the Cornish story of 
'the Hurlers,' who were turned into stone for playing 
at hurling on the Lord's Day, or to that other English 
example from Cumberland of 'Long Meg' and her 
daughters. St Comely, we are told, pursued by an 

44 




RAISING A MENHIR 



44 



Mont-Saint-Michel 

army of pagans, fled toward the sea. Finding no boat 
at hand, and on the point of being taken, he trans- 
formed his pursuers into stones, the present monoliths 
The Saint had made his flight to the coast in a bullock- 
cart, and perhaps for this reason he is now regarded as 
the patron of cattle. Should a bullock fall sick, his 
owner purchases an image of St Comely and hangs it 
up in the stable until the animal recovers. The church 
at Carnac contains a series of fresco paintings which 
outline events in the life of the Saint, and in the church- 
yard there is a representation of the holy man between 
two bullocks. The head of St Comely is said to be 
preserved within the edifice as a relic. On the 13th of 
September is held at Carnac the festival of the ' Bene- 
diction of the Beasts,' which is celebrated in honour of 
St Comely. The cattle of the district are brought to the 
vicinity of the church and blessed by the priests — should 
sufficient monetary encouragement be forthcoming. 

Mont-Saint-Michel 

In the neighbourhood is Mont-Saint-Michel, 1 a great 
j tumulus with a sepulchral dolmen, first excavated in 
1862, when late Stone Age implements, jade celts, and 
burnt bones were unearthed. Later M. Zacharie Le 
Rouzic, the well-known Breton archaeologist, tunnelled 
into the tumulus, and discovered a mortuary chamber, 
in which were the incinerated remains of two oxen. 
To this tumulus each pilgrim added a stone or small 
quantity of earth, as has been the custom in Celtic 
: countries from time immemorial, and so the funerary 
mound in the course of countless generations grew into 

1 Not to be confused, of course, with the well-known island mount of 
the same name. 

45 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

quite a respectable hill, on which a chapel was built, 
dedicated to St Michael, from the doorway of which 
a splendid prospect of the great stone alignments can 
be had, with, for background, the Morbihan and the 
long, dreary peninsula of Quiberon, bleak, treeless, and 
deserted. 

Rocenaud 

Near Carnac is the great dolmen of Rocenaud, the 
' cup-and-ring ' markings on which are thought by the 
surrounding peasantry to have been made by the knees 
and elbows of St Roch, who fell upon this stone when 
he landed from Ireland. When the natives desire a 
wind they knock upon the depressions with their 
knuckles, murmuring spells the while, just as in Scotland 
in the seventeenth century a tempest was raised by 
dipping a rag in water and beating it on a stone thrice 
in the name of Satan. 

Cup-and-Ring Markings 

What do these cup-and-ring markings so commonly dis- 
covered upon the monuments of Brittany portend ? The 
question is one well worth examining at some length, 
as it appears to be almost at the foundations of Neolithic 
religion. Recent discoveries in New Caledonia have 
proved the existence in these far-off islands, as in 
Brittany, Scotland, and Ireland, of these strange 
symbols, coupled with the concentric and spiral designs 
which are usually associated with the genius of Celtic 
art. In the neighbourhood of Glasgow, and in the 
south-west of Scotland generally, stones inscribed with 
designs closely resembling those on the New Caledonian 
rocks have been found in abundance, as at Auchentorlie 
46 



Cup-and-Ring Markings 

and Cockno, Shewalton Sands, and in the Milton of 
Colquhoun district, where the famous ' cup-and-ring 
altar' was discovered. At Shewalton Sands in par- 
ticular, in 1904, a number of stones were found bearing 
crosses like those discovered in Portugal by Father 
Jose Brenha and Father Rodriguez. These symbols 
have a strong resemblance to certain markings on the 
Breton rocks, and are thought to possess an alphabetic 
or magical significance. In Scotland spirals are com- 
monly found on stones marked with ogham inscriptions, 
and it is remarkable that they should occur in New 
Caledonia in connexion with a dot 'alphabet.' The 
New Caledonian crosses, however, approximate more to 
the later crosses of Celtic art, while the spirals resemble 
those met with in the earlier examples of Celtic work. 
But the closest parallel to the New Caledonian stone- 
markings to be found in Scotland is supplied by the ex- 
amples at Cockno, in Dumbartonshire, where the wheel 
symbol is associated with the cup-and-ring markings. 
The cup-and-ring stones used to be considered the 
peculiar product of a race of ' Brythonic ' or British 
origin, and it is likely that the stones so carved were 
utilized in the ritual of rain-worship or rain-making by 
sympathetic magic. The grooves in the stone were 
probably filled with water to typify a country partially 
covered with rain-water. 1 

From these analogies, then, we can glean the purpose 
of the cup-and-ring markings upon the dolmens of 
Brittany, and may conclude, if our considerations are 

1 A Scottish sixteenth-century magical verse was chanted over such 
a stone : 

" I knock this rag wpone this stone, 
And ask the divell for rain thereon." 



47 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

well founded, that they were magical in purpose and 
origin. Do the cup-shaped depressions represent water, 
or are they receptacles for rain, and do the spiral 
symbols typify the whirling winds ? 

The Gallery of Gavrinis 

Nowhere are these mysterious markings so well ex- 
emplified as in the wonderful tumulus of Gavr'inis. 
This ancient place of sepulture, the name of which 
means ' Goat Island,' lies in the Morbihan, or ' Little 
Sea,' an inland sea which gives its name to a depart- 
ment in the south of Brittany. The tumulus is 25 feet 
high, and covers a fine gallery 40 feet long, the stones of 
which bear the markings alluded to. Whorls and circles 
abound in the ornamentation, serpent-like figures, and the 
representation of an axe, similar to those to be seen in 
some of the Grottes aux Fees, or on the Dol des Mar- 
chands. The sculptures appear to have been executed 
with metal tools. The passage ends in a square sepulchral 
chamber, the supports of which are eight menhirs of 
grained granite, a stone not found on the island. Such 
of the menhirs as are carved were obviously so treated 
before they were placed in situ, as the design passes 
round the edges. 

The He aux Moines 

The He aux Moines (' Monks' Island ') is also situated 
in the Morbihan, and has many prehistoric monuments, 
the most extensive of which are the circle of stones at 
Kergonan and the dolmen of Penhapp. On the He 
d'Arz, too, are megalithic monuments, perhaps the best 
example of which is the cromlech or circle at Penraz. 
The folk-beliefs attached to the megalithic monuments 
48 



Folk-Belief and the Monuments 



of Brittany are numerous, but nearly all of them bear a 
strong resemblance to each other. Many of the monu- 
ments are called Grottes aux Fees or Roches aux Fees, 
in the belief that the fairies either built them or used 
them as dwelling-places, and variants of these names 
are to be found in the Maison des Follets (' House of 
the Goblins ') at Cancoet, in Morbihan, and the Chateau 
des Paulpiquets, in Questembert, in the same district. 
Ty en Corygannt ('The House of the Korrigans ') 
is situated in the same department, while near Pen- 
march, in Finistere, at the other end of the province, 
we find Ty C'harriquet ('The House of the Gorics ' 
or ■ Nains '). Other mythical personages are also 
credited with their erection, most frequently either the 
devil or Gargantua being held responsible for their 
miraculous creation. The phenomenon, well known to 
students of folk-lore, that an unlettered people speedily 
forgets the origin of monuments that its predecessors 
may have raised in times past is well exemplified in 
Brittany, whose peasant-folk are usually surprised, if 
not amused, at the question "Who built the dolmens?" 
Close familiarity with and contiguity to uncommon 
objects not infrequently dulls the sense of wonder they 
should otherwise naturally excite. But lest we feel 
tempted to sneer at these poor folk for their incurious 
attitude toward the visible antiquities of their land, 
let us ask ourselves how many of us take that interest 
in the antiquities of our own country or our own 
especial locality that they demand. 1 

1 The writer's experience is that unlettered British folk often possess 
much better information concerning the antiquities of a district than 
its ' educated ' inhabitants. If this information is not scientific it is 
full and displays deep personal interest. 



D 



49 



Legends &■ Romances of Brittany 



Fairy Builders 

For the most part, then, the megaliths, in the opinion 
of the Breton peasant, are not the handiwork of man. 
He would rather refer their origin to spirits, giants, or 
fiends. If he makes any exception to this supernatural 
attribution, it is in favour of the saints he reverences 
so profoundly. The fairies, he says, harnessed their 
oxen to the mighty stones, selected a site, and dragged 
them thither to form a dwelling, or perhaps a cradle 
for the infant fays they were so fond of exchanging 
for human children. Thus the Roches aux F6es near 
Saint-Didier, in Ille-et-Vilaine, were raised by fairy 
hands, the elves collecting "all the big stones in the 
country " and carrying them thither in their aprons. 
These architectural sprites then mounted on each 
other's shoulders in order that they might reach high 
enough to place the mighty monoliths securely in 
position. This practice they also followed in building 
the dolmen near the wood of Rocher, on the road from 
Dinan to Dol, say the people of that country-side. 
But the actual purpose of the megaliths has not been 
neglected by tradition, for a venerable farmer at Rou- 
vray stated that the fairies were wont to honour after 
their death those who had made good use of their lives 
and built the dolmens to contain their ashes. The 
presence of such a shrine in a country-side was a 
guarantee of abundance and prosperity therein, as a 
subtle and indefinable charm spread from the saintly 
remnants and communicated itself to everything in 
the neighbourhood. 1 The fairy builders, says tradition, 
went about their work in no haphazard manner. Those 

1 Collectionneur breton, t. iii, p. 55. 
50 



Fairy Builders 

among them who possessed a talent for design drew 
the plans of the proposed structure, the less gifted 
acting as carriers, labourers, and masons. Apron- 
carrying was not their only method of porterage, for 
some bore the stones on their heads, or one under 
each arm, as when they raised the Roche aux Fees 
in Retiers, or the dolmen in La Lande Marie. 1 The 
space of a night was usually sufficient in which to raise 
a dolmen. But though ' run up ' with more than Trans- 
atlantic dispatch, in view of the time these structures 
have endured for, any charge of jerry-building against 
their elfin architects must fall to the ground. Daylight, 
too, frequently surprised the fairy builders, so that they 
could not finish their task, as many a ' roofless ' dolmen 
shows. 

There are many Celtic parallels to this belief. For 
example, it is said that the Picts, or perhaps the 
fairies, built the original church of Corstorphine, near 
Edinburgh, and stood in a row handing the stones 
on, one to another, from Ravelston Quarry, on the 
adjacent hill of Corstorphine. Such is the local folk- 
tale ; and it has its congeners in Celtic and even in 
Hindu myth. Thus in the Highland tale of Kennedy 
and the claistig, or fairy, whom he captured, and 
whom he compelled to build him a house in one night, 
we read that she set her people to work speedily : 

And they brought flags and stones 
From the shores of Cliamig waterfall, 
Reaching them from hand to hand. 2 

Again, the Round Tower of Ardmore, in Ireland, was 

1 See Comptes rendus de la Societe des Antiquaries de France, pp. 95 ff. 

(1836). 

2 J. G. Campbell, Superstitions of the Scottish Highlands. 

51 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

built with stones brought from Slieve Grian, a mountain 
some four or five miles distant, " without horse or 
wheel," the blocks being passed from hand to hand 
from the quarry to the site of the building. The same 
tradition applied to the Round Tower of Abernethy, 
in Perthshire, only it is in this case demonstrated that 
the stone of which the tower is composed was actually 
taken from the traditional quarry, even the very spot 
being geologically identified. 1 In like manner, too, 
was Rama's bridge built by the monkey host in Hindu 
myth, as recounted in the Mahabharata and the 
Ramayana. 

Tales, as apart from beliefs, are not often encountered 
in connexion with the monuments. Indeed, Sebillot, in 
the course of his researches, found only some dozen of 
these all told. 2 They are very brief, and appear for the 
most part to deal with fairies who have been shut up 
by the power of magic in a dolmen. Tales of spirits 
enclosed in trees, and even in pillars, are not uncommon, 
and lately I have heard a peculiarly fearsome ghost 
story which comes from Belgium, in which it is related 
how certain spirits had become enclosed in a pillar in 
an ancient abbey, for the saintly occupants of which 
they made it particularly uncomfortable. Mr George 
Henderson, in one of the most masterly and suggestive 
studies of Celtic survivals ever published, states that 
stones in the Highlands of Scotland were formerly 
believed to have souls, and that those too large to be 
moved "were held to be in intimate connexion with 
spirits." Pillared stones are not employed in building 
dwellings in the Highlands, ill luck, it is believed, being 

1 Small, Antiquities of Fife. 

2 Traditions de la Haute- Br etagne, t. i, p. 26. 

52 



Stones that Travel 

sure to follow their use in this manner, while to 
' meddle ' with stones which tradition connects with 
Druidism is to court fatality. 1 

Stones that Travel 

M. Salomon Reinach tells us of the Breton belief that 
certain sacred stones go once a year or once a century 
to ' wash ' themselves in the sea or in a river, returning 
to their ancient seats after their ablutions. 2 The stones 
in the dolmen of Esse are thought to change their places 
continually, like those of Callernish and Lewis, and, 
like the Roman Penates, to have the gift of coming and 
going if removed from their habitual site. 
The megalithic monuments of Brittany are undoubtedly 
the most remarkable relics of that epoch of prehistoric 
activity which is now regarded as the immediate fore- 
runner of civilization. Can it be that they were 
miraculously preserved by isolation from the remote 
beginnings of that epoch, or is it more probable that 
they were constructed at a relatively late period ? These 
are questions of profound difficulty, and it is likely that 
both theories contain a certain amount of truth. 
Whatever may have been the origin of her megaliths, 
Brittany must ever be regarded as a great prehistoric 
museum, a unique link with a past of hoary antiquity. 

1 Henderson, Survivals in Belief among the Celts (191 1). 

2 Cultes, Mythes y et Religiones> t. iii, pp. 365-433. 



53 



CHAPTER III : THE FAIRIES OF 
BRITTANY 

WHATEVER the origin of the race which 
conceived the demonology of Brittany — 
and there are indications that it was not 
wholly Celtic — that weird province of Faery bears 
unmistakable evidence of having been deeply impressed 
by the Celtic imagination, if it was not totally peopled 
by it, for its various inhabitants act in the Celtic spirit, 
are moved by Celtic springs of thought and fancy, and 
possess not a little of that irritability which has forced 
anthropologists to include the Celtic race among those 
peoples described as ' sanguine-bilious.' As a rule they 
are by no means friendly or even humane, these fays 
of Brittany, and if we find beneficent elves within the 
green forests of the duchy we may feel certain that they 
are French immigrants, and therefore more polished 
than the choleric native sprites. 

Broceliande 

Of all the many localities celebrated in the fairy 
lore of Brittany none is so famous as Broceliande. 
Broceliande! "The sound is like a bell," a far, faery 
chime in a twilit forest. In the name Broceliande 
there seems to be gathered all the tender charm, the 
rich and haunting mystery, the remote magic of 
Brittany and Breton lore. It is, indeed, the title to 
the rarest book in the library of poetic and traditional 
romance. 

" I went to seek out marvels," said old Wace. "The 
forest I saw, the land I saw. I sought marvels, but I 
found none. A fool I came back, a fool I went ; a fool 

54 



Broceliande 



I went, a fool I came back ; foolishness I sought ; a fool 
I hold myself." 1 

Our age, even less sceptical than his, sees no folly in 
questing for the beautiful, and if we expect no marvels, 
nor any sleight of faery, however desirous we are, we 
do not hold it time lost to plunge into the enchanted 
forest and in its magic half-gloom grope for, and 
perchance grasp, dryad draperies, or be trapped in the 
filmy webs of fancy which are spun in these shadows for 
unwary mortals. 

Standing in dream-girt Broceliande of a hundred 
legends, its shadows mirrored by dim meres that may 
never reflect the stars, one feels the lure of Brittany 
more keenly even than when walking by its fierce and 
jagged coasts menaced by savage grey seas, or when 
wandering on its vast moors where the monuments 
of its pagan past stand in gigantic disarray. For in 
the forest is the heart of Arthurian story, the shrine 
of that wonder which has drawn thousands to this land 
of legend, who, like old Wace, trusted to have found, if 
not elfin marvels, at least matter of phantasy conjured 
up by the legendary associations of Broceliande. 
But we must beware of each step in these twilit 
recesses, for the fays of Brittany are not as those of 
other lands. Harsh things are spoken of them. They 
are malignant, say the forest folk. The note of Brittany 
is scarce a joyous one. It is bitter-sweet as a sad chord 
struck on an ancient harp. 

The fays of Brittany are not the friends of man. They 
are not ' the good people,' 1 the wee folk ' ; they have no 
endearing names, the gift of a grateful peasantry. Cold 
and hostile, they hold aloof from human converse, and, 
1 Roman de Rou, v. 6415 ff. 

55 



Legends §P Romances of Brittany 

should they encounter man, vent their displeasure at the 
interruption in the most vindictive manner. 
Whether the fairies of Brittany be the late repre- 
sentatives of the gods of an elder day or merely 
animistic spirits who have haunted these glades since 
man first sheltered in them, certain it is that in no other 
region in Europe has Mother Church laid such a heavy 
ban upon all the things of faery as in this strange and 
isolated peninsula. A more tolerant ecclesiastical rule 
might have weaned them to a timid friendship, but 
all overtures have been discouraged, and to-day they 
are enemies, active, malignant, swift to inflict evil upon 
the pious peasant because he is pious and on the 
energetic because of his industry. 

The Korrigan 

Among those forest-beings of whom legend speaks such 
malice none is more relentless than the Korrigan, who 
has power to enmesh the heart of the most constant 
swain and doom him to perish miserably for love of her. 
Beware of the fountains and of the wells of this forest 
of Broceliande, for there she is most commonly to be en- 
countered, and you may know her by her bright hair — 
" like golden wire," as Spenser says of his lady's — her red, 
flashing eyes, and her laughing lips. But if you would 
dare her wiles you must come alone to her fountain by 
night, for she shuns even the half-gloom that is day in 
shadowy Broceliande. The peasants when they speak 
of her will assure you that she and her kind are pagan 
princesses of Brittany who would have none of Chris- 
tianity when the holy Apostles brought it to Armorica, 
and who must dwell here under a ban, outcast and 
abhorred. 

56 



The Seigneur of Nann 



The Seigneur of Nann 1 

The Seigneur of Nann was high of heart, for that day 
his bride of a year had presented him with two beautiful 
children, a boy and a girl, both white as May-blossom. 
In his joy the happy father asked his wife her heart's 
desire, and she, pining for that which idle fancy urged 
upon her, begged him to bring her a dish of wood- 
cock from the lake in the dale, or of venison from the 
greenwood. The Seigneur of Nann seized his lance 
and, vaulting on his jet-black steed, sought the borders 
of the forest, where he halted to survey the ground 
for track of roe or slot of the red deer. Of a sudden 
a white doe rose in front of him, and was lost in the 
forest like a silver shadow. 

At sight of this fair quarry the Seigneur followed into 
the greenwood. Ever his prey rustled among the 
leaves ahead, and in the hot chase he recked not of the 
forest depths into which he had plunged. But coming 
upon a narrow glade where the interlacing leaves above 
let in the sun to dapple the moss-ways below, he saw 
a strange lady sitting by the broken border of a well, 
braiding her fair hair and binding it with golden pins. 
The Seigneur louted low, begged that he might 
drink, and bending down set his lips to the water ; 
but she, turning strange eyes upon him — eyes not 
blue like those of his bride, nor grey, nor brown, nor 
black, like those of other women, but red in their 
depths as the heart's blood of a dove — spoke to him 
discourteously. 

" Who are you who dare to trouble the waters of my 

1 Consult original ballad in Vicomte de la Villemarque's Chants 
populaires de la Bretagne. 

57 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

fountain ? " she asked. " Do you not know that your 
conduct merits death ? This well is enchanted, and by 
drinking of it you are fated to die, unless you fulfil a 
certain condition." 

" And what is that ? " asked the Seigneur. 
" You must marry me within the hour," replied the lady. 
" Demoiselle," replied the Seigneur, " it may not be 
as you desire, for I am already espoused to a 
fair bride who has borne me this very day a son 
and a daughter. Nor shall I die until it pleases the 
good God. Nevertheless, I wot well who you are. 
Rather would I die on the instant than wed with a 
Korrigan." 

Leaping upon his horse, he turned and rode from the 
woodland as a man possessed. As he drew homeward 
he was overshadowed by a sense of coming ill. At the 
gate of his chateau stood his mother, anxious to greet 
him with good news of his bride. But with averted 
eyes he addresses her in the refrain so familiar to the 
folk-poetry of all lands : 

" My good mother, if you love me, make my bed. I am sick 
unto death. Say not a word to my bride. For within three 
days I shall be laid in the grave. A Korrigan has done 
me evil." 

Three days later the young spouse asks of her mother- 
in-law : 

"Tell me, mother, why do the bells sound? Where- 
fore do the priests chant so low? " 

" 'Tis nothing, daughter," replies the elder woman. " A 
poor stranger who lodged here died this night." 
" Ah, where is gone the Seigneur of Nann ? Mother, 
oh, where is he ? " 

58 



THE SEIGNEUR OF NANN AND THE KORRIGAN 



A Goddess of Eld 



" He has gone to the town, my child. In a little he 
will come to see you." 

" Ah, mother, let us speak of happy things. Must I 
wear my red or my blue robe at my churching ? " 
" Neither, daughter. The mode is changed. You 
must wear black." 

Unconscious in its art, the stream of verse carries us 
to the church, whence the young wife has gone to 
offer up thanks for the gift of children. She sees 
that the ancestral tomb has been opened, and a great 
dread is at her heart. She asks her mother-in-law 
who has died, and the old woman at last confesses 
that the Seigneur of Nann has just been buried. 
That same night the young mother was interred beside 
her husband-lover. And the peasant folk say that from 
that tomb arose two saplings, the branches of which 
intertwined more closely as they grew. 

A Goddess of Eld 

In the depths of Lake Tegid in our own Wales dwelt 
Keridwen, a fertility goddess who possessed a magic 
cauldron — the sure symbol of a deity of abundance. 1 
Like Demeter, she was strangely associated with the 
harmless necessary sow, badge of many earth-mothers, 
and itself typical of fertility. Like Keridwen, the 
Korrigan is associated with water, with the element 
which makes for vegetable growth. Christian belief 
would, of course, transform this discredited goddess into 
an evil being whose one function was the destruction 
of souls. May we see a relation of the Korrigan and 
Keridwen in Tridwan, or St Triduana, of Restalrig, 

1 MacCulloch, The Religion of the Ancient Ce/ts, p. 116 (Edinburgh, 
1911). 

59 



Legends ®f Romances of Brittany 

near Edinburgh, who presided over a certain well 
there, and at whose well-shrine offerings were made 
by sightless pilgrims for many centuries ? 
Many are the traditions which tell of human infants 
abducted by the Korrigan, who at times left an ugly 
changeling in place of the babe she had stolen. But it 
was more as an enchantress that she was dreaded. By 
a stroke of her magic wand she could transform the 
leafy fastnesses in which she dwelt into the semblance 
of a lordly hall, which the luckless traveller whom she 
lured thither would regard as a paradise after the dark 
thickets in which he had been wandering. This seeming 
castle or palace she furnished with everything that could 
delight the eye, and as the doomed wretch sat ravished 
by her beauty and that of her nine attendant maidens a 
fatal passion for her entered his heart, so that whatever 
he cherished most on earth — honour, wife, demoiselle, 
or affianced bride — became as naught to him, and he 
cast himself at the feet of this forest Circe in a frenzy 
of ardour. But with the first ray of daylight the charm 
was dissolved and the Korrigan became a hideous hag, 
as repulsive as before she had been lovely ; the walls of 
her palace and the magnificence which had furnished it 
became once more tree and thicket, its carpets moss, 
its tapestries leaves, its silver cups wild roses, and its 
dazzling mirrors pools of stagnant water. 

The Uitbroken Vow 1 

Sir Roland of Brittany rides through gloomy Broceliande 
a league ahead of his troop, unattended by squire or by 
page. The red cross upon his shoulder is witness that 

1 See Ballads and Metrical Tales \ illustrating the Fairy Mythology of 
Europe (anonymous, London, 1857) for a metrical version of this tale. 

60 



The Unbroken Vow 

he is vowed to service in Palestine, and as he passes 
through the leafy avenues on his way to the rendezvous 
he fears that he will be late, most tardy of all the knights 
of Brittany who have sworn to drive the paynim from 
the Holy Land. Fearful of such disgrace, he spurs his 
jaded charger on through the haunted forest, and with 
anxious eye watches the sun sink and the gay white 
moon sail high above the tree-tops, pouring light 
through their branches upon the mossy ways below. 
A high vow has Roland taken ere setting out upon the 
crusade — a vow that he will eschew the company of 
fair ladies, in which none had delighted more than he. 
No more must he mingle in the dance, no more must he 
press a maiden's lips with his. He has become a soldier 
of the Cross. He may not touch a lady's hand save 
with his mailed glove, he must not sit by her side. Also 
must he fast from dusk till dawn upon that night of his 
setting forth. " Small risk," he laughs a little sadly, 
as he spurs his charger onward, "small risk that I be 
mansworn ere morning light." 

But the setting of the moon tells him that he must 
rest in the forest until dawn, as without her beams he 
can no longer pursue his way. So he dismounts from 
his steed, tethers it to a tree, and looks about for a 
bed of moss on which to repose. As he does so his 
wandering gaze fixes upon a beam of light piercing the 
gloom of the forest. Well aware of the traditions of his 
country, he thinks at first that it is only the glimmer of 
a will-o'-the-wisp or a light carried by a wandering elf. 
But no, on moving nearer the gleam he is surprised to 
behold a row of windows brilliantly lit as if for a festival. 
"Now, by my vow," says Roland, " methought I knew 
well every chateau in this land of Brittany, nor wist 

61 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

I that seigneur or count held court in this forest of 
Broceliande." 

Resolved to view the chateau at still closer quarters, 
he draws near it. A great court fronts him where neither 
groom nor porter keeps guard, and within he can see a 
fair hall. This he enters, and immediately his ears are 
ravished by music which wanders through the chamber 
like a sighing zephyr. The murmur of rich viols and 
the call of flutes soft as distant bird-song speak to his 
very soul. Yet through the ecstasy comes, like a 
serpent gliding among flowers, the discord of evil 
thoughts. Grasping his rosary, he is about to retire 
when the doors at the end of the hall fly open, and he 
beholds a rapturous vision. Upon a couch of velvet sits 
a lady of such dazzling beauty that all other women 
compared with her would seem as kitchen-wenches. A 
mantle of rich golden hair falls about her, her eyes shine 
with the brightness of stars, her smile seems heavenly. 
Round her are grouped nine maidens only less beautiful 
than herself. 

As the moon moving among attendant stars, so the 
lady comes toward Roland, accompanied by her maidens. 
She welcomes him, and would remove his gauntlet, but 
he tells her of the vow he has made to wear it in lady's 
bower, and she is silent. Next she asks him to seat 
himself beside her on the couch, but he will not. In 
some confusion she orders a repast to be brought. A 
table is spread with fragrant viands, but as the knight 
will partake of none of them, in chagrin the lady takes 
a lute, which she touches with exquisite skill. He listens 
unmoved, till, casting away her instrument, she dances 
to him, circling round and round about him, flitting 
about his chair like a butterfly, until at length she sinks 
62 



The Unbroken Vow 

down near him and lays her head upon his mailed 
bosom. Upward she turns her face to him, all passion- 
flushed, her eyes brimming with love. Sir Roland 
falters. Fascinated by her unearthly beauty, he is about 
to stoop down to press his lips to hers. But as he bends 
his head she shrinks from him, for she sees the tender 
flush of morning above the eastern tree-tops. The 
living stars faint and fail, and the music of awakening 
life which accompanies the rising of the young sun falls 
upon the ear. Slowly the chateau undergoes trans- 
formation. The glittering roof merges into the blue 
vault of heaven, the tapestried walls become the ivied 
screens of great forest trees, the princely furnishings are 
transformed into mossy banks and mounds, and the 
rugs and carpets beneath Roland's mailed feet are now 
merged in the forest ways. 

But the lady ? Sir Roland, glancing down, beholds 
a hag hideous as sin, whose malicious and distorted 
countenance betrays baffled hate and rage. At the 
sound of a bugle she hurries away with a discordant 
shriek. Into the glade ride Roland's men, to see their 
lord clasping his rosary and kneeling in thanksgiving 
for his deliverance from the evils which beset him. He 
had been saved from breaking his vow ! 
The nine attendant maidens of the Korrigan bring to 
mind a passage in Pomponius Mela 1 : " Sena [the He 
de Sein, not far from Brest], in the British Sea, opposite 
the Ofismician coast, is remarkable for an oracle of the 
Gallic god. Its priestesses, holy in perpetual virginity, 
are said to be nine in number. They are called 
Gallicenae, and are thought to be endowed with singular 
powers. By their charms they are able to raise the 
1 Lib. Ill, cap. vi. 

6 3 



Legends &^ Romances of Brittany 

winds and seas, to turn themselves into what animals 
they will, to cure wounds and diseases incurable by 
others, to know and predict the future. But this they 
do only for navigators, who go thither purposely to 
consult them." 

Like the sylphs and salamanders so humorously 
described by the Abbe de Villars in Le Comte de 
Gabalis, 1 the Korrigans desired union with humanity in 
order that they might thus gain immortality. Such, at 
least, is the current peasant belief in Brittany. " For 
this end they violate all the laws of modesty." This 
belief is common to all lands, and is typical of the fay, 
the Lorelei, countless well and water sprites, and that 
enchantress who rode off with Thomas the Rhymer : 

For if you dare to kiss my lips 
Sure of your bodie I shall be. 

Unlike the colder Sir Roland, ' True Thomas ' dared, 
and was wafted to a realm wondrously described by 
the old balladeer in the vivid phrase that marks the 
poetry of vision. 

Merlin and Vivien 

It was in this same verdant Broceliande that Vivien, 
another fairy, that crafty dame of the enchanted lake, 
the instructress of Lancelot, bound wise Merlin so that 
he might no more go to Camelot with oracular lips to 
counsel British Arthur. 

But what say the folk of Broceliande themselves of 

1 Paris, 1670. Strange that this book should have been seized upon 
by students of the occult as a ' text-book ' furnishing longed-for details 
of the Most knowledge' concerning elementary spirits, when it is, in 
effect, a very whole-hearted satire upon belief in such beings ! 

64 



Merlin and Vivien 



this ? Let us hear their version of a tale which has 
been so battered by modern criticism, and which has 
been related in at least half a score of versions, prose 
and poetic. Let us have the Broceliande account of 
what happened in Broceliande. 1 Surely its folk, in the 
very forest in which he wandered with Vivien, must 
know more of Merlin's enchantment than we of that 
greater Britain which he left to find a paradise in Britain 
the Less, for, according to Breton story, Merlin was 
not imprisoned by magic art, but achieved bliss through 
his love for the fairy forest nymph. 

Disguised as a young student, Merlin was wandering 
one bright May morning through the leafy glades of 
Broceliande, when, like the Seigneur of Nann, he came 
to a beautiful fountain in the heart of the forest which 
tempted him to rest. As he sat there in reverie, Vivien, 
daughter of the lord of the manor of Broceliande, came 
to the water's edge. Her father had gained the affection 
of a fay of the valley, who had promised on behalf of 
their daughter that she should be loved by the wisest 
man in the world, who should grant all her wishes, but 
would never be able to compel her to consent to his. 
Vivien reclined upon the other side of the fountain, and 
the eyes of the sage and maiden met. At length Merlin 
rose to depart, and gave the damsel courteous good-day. 
But she, curious and not content with a mere saluta- 
tion, wished him all happiness and honour. Her voice 
was beautiful, her eyes expressive, and Merlin, moved 
beyond anything in his experience, asked her name. 
She told him she was a daughter of a gentleman of 
that country, and in turn asked him who he might be. 
" A scholar returning to his master," was the reply. 
1 Villemarque, Myrdhinn^ ou fEnchanteur Merlin (1861). 

E 65 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

' 4 Your master? And what may he teach you, young 
sir ? " 

" He instructs me in the magic art, fair dame," replied 
Merlin, amused. " By aid of his teaching I can raise a 
castle ere a man could count a score, and garrison it 
with warriors of might. I can make a river flow past 
the spot on which you recline, I can raise spirits from 
the great deeps of ether in which this world rolls, and 
can peer far into the future — aye, to the extreme of 
human days." 

" Would that I shared your wisdom ! " cried Vivien, her 
voice thrilling with the desire of hidden things which 
she had inherited from her fairy mother. " Teach me 
these secrets, I entreat of you, noble scholar, and accept 
in return for your instruction my most tender friend- 
ship." 

Merlin, willing to please her, arose, and traced certain 
mystical characters upon the greensward. Straightway 
the glade in which they sat was filled with knights, 
ladies, maidens, and esquires, who danced and disported 
themselves right joyously. A stately castle rose on the 
verge of the forest, and in the garden the spirits whom 
Merlin the enchanter had raised up in the semblance 
of knights and ladies held carnival. Vivien, delighted, 
asked of Merlin in what manner he had achieved this 
feat of faery, and he told her that he would in time 
instruct her as to the manner of accomplishing it. He 
then dismissed the spirit attendants and dissipated the 
castle into thin air, but retained the garden at the 
request of Vivien, naming it 'Joyous Garden.' 
Then he made a tryst with Vivien to meet her in a year 
on the Vigil of St John. 

Now Merlin had to be present at the espousal of Arthur, 
66 




MERLIN AND VIVIEN 



66 



Merlin and Vivien 

his King, with Guinevere, at which he was to assist the 
archbishop, Dubric, as priest. The festivities over, he 
recalled his promise to Vivien, and on the appointed day 
he once more assumed the guise of a travelling scholar 
and set out to meet the maiden in the forest of 
Broceliande. She awaited him patiently in Joyous 
Garden, where they partook of a dainty repast. But 
the viands and the wines were wasted upon Merlin, for 
Vivien was beside him and she alone filled his thoughts. 
She was fair of colour, and fresh with the freshness of 
all in the forest, and her hazel eyes made such fire 
within his soul that he conceived a madness of love for 
her that all his wisdom, deep as it was, could not 
control. 

But Vivien was calm as a lake circled by trees, where 
no breath of the passion of tempest can come. Again 
and again she urged him to impart to her the secrets she 
so greatly longed to be acquainted with. And chiefly 
did she desire to know three things ; these at all hazards 
must she have power over. How, she asked, could water 
be made to flow in a dry place ? In what manner could 
any form be assumed at will ? And, lastly, how could 
one be made to fall asleep at the pleasure of another ? 
" Wherefore ask you this last question, demoiselle?" 
said Merlin, suspicious even in his great passion for her. 
"So that I may cast the spell of sleep over my father 
and my mother when I come to you, Merlin," she replied, 
with a beguiling glance, " for did they know that I loved 
you they would slay me." 

Merlin hesitated, and so was lost. He imparted to her 
that hidden knowledge which she desired. Then they 
dwelt together for eight days in the Joyous Garden, 
during which time the sage, to Vivien's delight and 

6 7 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

amaze, related to her the marvellous circumstances of 
his birth. 

Next day Merlin departed, but came again to Broceliande 
when the eglantine was flowering at the edge of the 
forest. Again he wore the scholar's garments. His 
aspect was youthful, his fair hair hung in ringlets on his 
shoulders, and he appeared so handsome that a tender 
flower of love sprang up in Vivien's heart, and she 
felt that she must keep him ever near her. But she 
knew full well that he whom she loved was in reality 
well stricken in years, and she was sorrowful. But 
she did not despair. 

" Beloved," she whispered, f< will you grant me but one 
other boon ? There is one secret more that I desire to 

In 
earn. 

Now Merlin knew well ere she spoke what was in her 

mind, and he sighed and shook his head. 

" Wherefore do you sigh ? " she asked innocently. 

" I sigh because my fate is strong upon me," replied the 

sage. " For it was foreseen in the long ago that a lady 

should lead me captive and that I should become her 

prisoner for all time. Neither have I the power to deny 

you what you ask of me." 

Vivien embraced him rapturously. 

" Ah, Merlin, beloved, is it not that you should always 
be with me ? " she asked passionately. " For your sake 
have I not given up father and mother, and are not all 
my thoughts and desires toward you ? " 
Merlin, carried away by her amorous eloquence, could 
only answer : " It is yours to ask what you will." 
Vivien then revealed to him her wish. She longed to 
learn from his lips an enchantment which would keep 
him ever near her, which would so bind him to her in 
68 



Merlin and Vivien 

the chains of love that nothing in the world could part 
him from her. Hearkening to her plea, he taught her 
such enchantment as would render him love's prisoner 
for ever. 

Evening was shrouding the forest in soft shadows 
when Merlin sank to rest. Vivien, waiting until his 
deep and regular breathing told her that he was asleep, 
walked nine times around him, waving her cloak over 
his head, and muttering the mysterious words he had 
taught her. When the sage awoke he found himself 
in the Joyous Garden with Vivien by his side. 
" You are mine for ever," she murmured. "You can 
never leave me now." 

"My delight will be ever to stay with you," he replied, 
enraptured. "And oh, beloved, never leave me, I pray 
you, for I am bespelled so as to love you throughout 
eternity ! " 

" Never shall I leave you," she replied ; and in such 
manner the wise Merlin withdrew from the world of 
men to remain ever in the Joyous Garden with Vivien. 
Love had triumphed over wisdom. 

The Arthurian version of the story does not, of course, 
represent Vivien as does the old Breton legend. In 
Geoffrey of Monmouth's book and in the Morte d Arthtir 
she is drawn as the scheming enchantress who wishes to 
lure Merlin to his ruin for the joy of being able to boast 
of her conquest. In some romances she is alluded to 
as Nimue, and in others is described as the daughter of 
Dyonas, who perhaps is the same as Dylan, a Brythonic 
(British) sea-god. As the Lady of the Lake she is the 
foster-mother of Lancelot, and we should have no diffi- 
culty in classing her as a water deity or spirit very much 
like the Korrigan. 

6 9 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 



Merlin 

But Merlin is a very different character, and it is prob- 
able that the story of his love for Vivien was composed 
at a comparatively late date for the purpose of rounding 
off his fate in Arthurian legend. A recent hypothesis 
concerning him is to the effect that "if he belongs to 
the pagan period [of Celtic lore] at all, he was prob- 
ably an ideal magician or god of magicians." 1 Canon 
MacCulloch smiles at the late Sir John Rhys's belief 
that Merlin was "a Celtic Zeus," but his later suggestion 
seems equally debatable. We must remember that we 
draw our conception of Merlin as Arthurian archimagus 
chiefly from late Norman-French sources and Celtic 
tradition. Ancient Brythonic traditions concerning 
beings of much the same type as Merlin appear to have 
existed, however, and the character of Lailoken in 
the life of St Kentigern recalls his life-story. So far 
research on the subject seems to show that the legend 
of Merlin is a thing of complex growth, composed of 
traditions of independent and widely differing origin, 
most of which were told about Celtic bards and sooth- 
\sayers. Merlin is, in fact, the typical Druid or wise 
man of Celtic tradition, and there is not the slightest 
reason for believing that he was ever paid divine 
honours. As a soothsayer of legend, he would as- 
suredly belong to the pagan period, however much 
he is indebted to Geoffrey of Monmouth for his late 
popularity in pure romance. 

The Fountain of Bar ant on 

In the country of Broceliande lies the magic fountain of 

1 MacCulloch, The Religion of the Ancient Celts , p. 122. 
70 



The Fountain of Baranton 



Baranton, sequestered among hills and surrounded by 
deep woods. Says a thirteenth-century writer of this 
fountain : 

"Oh, amazing wonder of the Fountain of Brecelien ! 
If a drop be taken and poured on a certain rock beside 
the spring, immediately the water changes into vapour, 
forms itself into great clouds filled with hail ; the air 
becomes thick with shadows, and resonant with the 
muttering of thunder. Those who have come through 
curiosity to behold the prodigy wish that they had never 
done so, so filled are their hearts with terror, and so 
does fear paralyse their limbs. Incredible as the marvel 
may seem, yet the proofs of its reality are too abundant 
to be doubted." 

Huon de Mery was more fortunate than Wace. He 
sprinkled the magic stone which lay behind the fountain 
with water from the golden basin that hung from the 
oak that shaded it, and beheld many marvels. And so 
may he who has the seeing eye to-day. 

BROCELIANDE 

Ah, how remote, forlorn 
Sounded the sad, sweet horn 
In forest gloom enchanted ! 
I saw the shadows of kings go riding by, 
But cerements mingled and paled with their panoply, 
And the moss-ways deadened the steps of steeds that never 
panted. 

Ah, what had phantasy 

In that sad sound to say, 

Sad as a spirit's wailing ? 

A call from over the seas of shadowland, 

A call the soul of the soul might understand, 

But never, ah, never the mind, the steeps of soul assailing. 

71 



Legends &? Romances of Brittany 



Bruno of La Montague 

The old fragmentary romance of Bruno of La Montagne 
is eloquent of the faery spirit which informs all Breton 
lore. Butor, Baron of La Montagne, had married a 
young lady when he was himself of mature years, and 
had a son, whom he resolved to take to a fountain 
where the fairies came to repose themselves. The 
Baron, describing this magic well to the child's mother, 
says (we roughly translate) : 

" Some believe 'tis in Champagne, 
And others by the Rock Grifaigne ; 
Perchance it is in Alemaigne, 
Or Bersillant de la Montagne ; 
Some even think that 'tis in Spain, 
Or where sleeps Artus of Bretaigne." 

The Seigneur gave his infant son into the keeping of 
Bruyant, a trusty friend of his, and they set out for 
the fairy fountain with a troop of vassals. They left 
the infant in the forest of Broceliande. Here the fairies 
soon found him. 

" Ha, sisters," said one whose skin was as white as 
the robe of gossamer she wore, and whose golden 
crown betokened her the queen of the others, "come 
hither and see a new-born infant. How, I wonder, 
does he come to be here ? I am sure I did not behold 
him in this spot yesterday. Well, at all events, he 
must be baptized and suitably endowed, as is our 
custom when we discover a mortal child. Now what 
will you give him ? " 

" I will give him," said one, " beauty and grace." 
" I endow him," said a second, "with generosity." 
"And I," said a third, "with such valour that he will 
72 



THE FAIRIES OF BROCELIANDE FIND THE LITTLE BRUNO 



Fairies in Folk-lore 

overthrow all his enemies at tourney and on the battle- 
field." 

The Queen listened to these promises. " Surely you 
have little sense," she said. " For my part, I wish 
that in his youth he may love one who will be utterly 
insensible to him, and although he will be as you desire, 
noble, generous, beautiful, and valorous, he will yet, for 
his good, suffer keenly from the anguish of love." 
"O Queen," said one of the fairies, " what a cruel fate 
you have ordained for this unfortunate child ! But I 
myself shall watch over him and nurse him until he 
comes to such an age as he may love, when I myself 
will try to engage his affections." 

" For all that," said the Queen, " I will not alter my 
design. You shall not nurse this infant." 
The fairies then disappeared. Shortly afterward 
Bruyant returned, and carried the child back to the 
castle of La Montagne, where presently a fairy pre- 
sented herself as nurse. 

Unfortunately the manuscript from which this tale is 
taken breaks off at this point, and we do not know 
how the Fairy Queen succeeded with her plans for 
the amorous education of the little Bruno. But the 
fragment, although tantalizing in the extreme, gives 
us some insight into the nature of the fairies who 
inhabit the green fastnesses of Broceliande. 

Fairies in Folk-lore 

Nearly all fairy-folk have in time grown to mortal 
height. Whether fairies be the decayed poor relations 
of more successful deities, gods whose cult has been for- 
gotten and neglected (as the Irish Sidhe, or fairy-folk), 
or diminutive animistic spirits, originating in the belief 

73 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

that every object, small or great, possessed a personality, 
it is noticeable that Celtic fairies are of human height, 
while those of the Teutonic peoples are usually dwarfish. 
Titania may come originally from the loins of Titans 
or she may be Diana come down in the world, and 
Oberon may hail from a very different and more dwarfish 
source, but in Shakespeare's England they have grown 
sufficiently to permit them to tread the boards of the 
Globe Theatre with normal humans. Scores of fairies 
mate with mortal men, and men, as a rule, do not care 
for dwarf-wives. Among Celts, at least, the fay, what- 
ever her original stature, in later times had certainly 
achieved the height of mortal womanhood. 
In Upper Brittany, where French is the language in 
general use, the usual French ideas concerning fairies 
prevail. They are called fees or fetes (Latin fata), and 
sometimes fons, which reminds us of the fions of Scottish 
and Irish folk-lore. 1 There are old people still alive who 
claim to have seen the fairies, and who describe them 
variously, but the general belief seems to be that they 
disappeared from the land several generations ago. One 
old man described them as having teeth as long as one's 
hand, and as wearing garments of sea-weed or leaves. 
They were human in aspect, said another ancient whom 
S^billot questioned ; their clothes were seamless, and it 
was impossible to say by merely looking at them whether 
they were male or female. Their garments were of the 
most brilliant colours imaginable, but if one approached 
them too closely these gaudy hues disappeared. They 
wore a kind of bonnet shaped like a crown, which 
appeared to be part of their person. 

1 Or subterranean dwellers. See D. MacRitchie's Fians, Fairies, and 
Picts (1893). 

74 



The Lost Daughter 

The people of the coast say that the fairies are an 
accursed race who are condemned to walk the earth for 
a certain space. Some even think them rebellious angels 
who have been sent to earth for a time to expiate their 
offences against heaven. For the most part they inhabit 
the dolmens and the grottos and caverns on the coast. 1 
On the shores of the Channel are numerous grottos or 
caverns which the Bretons call koules, and these are 
supposed to harbour a distinct class of fairy. Some of 
these caverns are from twenty to thirty feet high, and 
so extensive that it is unwise to explore them too far. 
Others seem only large enough to hold a single person, 
but if one enters he will find himself in a spacious natural 
chamber. The inhabitants of these depths, like all their 
kind, prefer to sally forth by night rather than by day. 
In the day-time they are not seen because they smear 
themselves with a magic ointment which renders them 
invisible ; but at night they are visible to everybody. 

The Lost Daughter 

There was once upon a time a labourer of Saint-Cast 
named Marc Bourdais, but, according to the usage of 
the country, he had a nickname and was called Maraud. 
One day he was returning home when he heard the 
sound of a horn beneath his feet, and asked a companion 
who chanced to be with him if he had heard it also. 
"Of course I did," replied the fellow; "it is a fairy 
horn." 

" Umph," said Maraud. "Ask the fairies, then, to 
bring us a slice of bread." 

His companion knelt down and shouted out the request, 
but nothing happened and they resumed their way. 
1 See the chapter on 11 Menhirs and Dolmens." 

75 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

They had not gone far, however, when they beheld a 
slice of beautiful white bread lying on a snowy napkin 
by the roadside. Maraud picked it up and found that it 
was well buttered and as toothsome as a cake, and when 
they had divided and eaten it they felt their hunger 
completely satisfied. But he who has fed well is often 
thirsty, so Maraud, lowering his head, and speaking to 
the little folk beneath, cried : " Hullo, there! Bring us 
something to drink, if you please." 

He had hardly spoken when they beheld a pot of cider 
and a glass reposing on the ground in front of them. 
Maraud filled the glass, and, raising it to his lips, quaffed 
of the fairy cider. It was clear and of a rich colour, and 
he declared that it was by far the best that he had 
ever tasted. His friend drank likewise, and when they 
returned to the village that night they had a good story 
to tell of how they had eaten and drunk at the expense 
of the fairies. But their friends and neighbours shook 
their heads and regarded them sadly. 
"Alas! poor fellows," they said, "if you have eaten 
fairy food and drunk fairy liquor you are as good as 
dead men." 

Nothing happened to them within the next few days, 
however, and it was with light hearts that one morning 
they returned to work in the neighbourhood of the 
spot where they had met with such a strange adventure. 
When they arrived at the place they smelt the odour 
of cakes which had been baked with black corn, and a 
fierce hunger at once took possession of them. 
"Ha!" said Maraud, "the fairies are baking to-day. 
Suppose we ask them for a cake or two." "No, no!" 
replied his friend. " Ask them if you wish, but I will 
have none of them." 

7 6 



The Lost Daughter 

" Pah ! " cried Maraud, " what are you afraid of? " And 
he cried : " Below there ! Bring me a cake, will you ? " 
Two fine cakes at once appeared. Maraud seized upon 
one, but when he had cut it he perceived that it was 
made of hairs, and he threw it down in disgust. 
" You wicked old sorcerer! " he cried. " Do you mean 
to mock me ? " 

But as he spoke the cakes disappeared. 
Now there lived in the village a widow with seven 
children, and a hard task she had to find bread for them 
all. She heard tell of Maraud's adventure with the 
fairies, and pondered on the chance of receiving a like 
hospitality from them, that the seven little mouths she 
had to provide for might be filled. So she made up her 
mind to go to a fairy grotto she knew of and ask for 
bread. ' ' Surely," she thought, "what the good people 
give to others who do not require it they will give to 
me, whose need is so great." When she had come to 
the entrance of the grotto she knocked on the side 
of it as one knocks on a door, and there at once 
appeared a little old dame with a great bunch of keys 
hanging at her side. She appeared to be covered with 
limpets, and mould and moss clung to her as to a rock. 
To the widow she seemed at least a thousand years 
old. 

£< What do you desire, my good woman ? " she asked. 
" Alas ! madame," said the widow, " might I have a little 
bread for my seven children ? Give me some, I beseech 
you, and I will remember you in my prayers." 
" I am not the mistress here," replied the old woman. 
" I am only the porteress, and it is at least a hundred 
years since I have been out. But return to-morrow 
and I will promise to speak for you." 

77 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

Next day at the same time the widow returned to the 
cave, and found the old porteress waiting for her. 
" I have spoken for you," said she, "and here is a loaf 
of bread for you, and those who send it wish to speak 
to you." 

"Bring me to them," said the widow, "that I may 
thank them." 

" Not to-day," replied the porteress. " Return to- 
morrow at the same hour and I will do so." 
The widow returned to the village and told her neigh- 
bours of her success. Every one came to see the fairy 
loaf, and many begged a piece. 

Next day the poor woman returned to the grotto in the 
hope that she would once more benefit from the little 
folks' bounty. The porteress was there as usual. 
"Well, my good woman," said she, "did you find my 
bread to your taste? Here is the lady who has be- 
friended you," and she indicated a beautiful lady, who 
came smilingly from the darkness of the cavern. 
" Ah, madame," said the widow, " I thank you with all 
my heart for your charity." 

"The loaf will last a long time," said the fairy, "and 
you will find that you and your family will not readily 
finish it." 

"Alas!" said the widow, "last night all my neighbours 
insisted on having a piece, so that it is now entirely 
eaten." 

" Well," replied the fay, "I will give you another loaf. 
So long as you or your children partake of it it will not 
grow smaller and will always remain fresh, but if you 
should give the least morsel to a stranger the loaf will 
disappear. But as I have helped you, so must you help 
me. I have four cows, and I wish to send them out to 

78 



The Lost Daughter 

pasture. Promise me that one of your daughters will 
guard them for me." 

The widow promised, and next morning sent one of 
her daughters out to look for the cows, which were to be 
pastured in a field where there was but little herbage. 
A neighbour saw her there, and asked what she was 
doing in that deserted place. 

"Oh, I am watching the fairy cows," replied she. The 
woman looked at her and smiled, for there were no 
cows there and she thought the girl had become half- 
witted. 

With the evening the fairy of the grotto came herself 
to fetch the cows, and she said to the little cowherd : 
" How would you like to be godmother to my child ? " 
" It would be a pleasure, madame," replied the girl. 
" Well, say nothing to any one, not even to your 
mother," replied the fairy, "for if you do I shall never 
bring you anything more to eat." 

A few days afterward a fairy came to tell the girl to 
prepare to come to the cavern on the morrow, as on 
that day the infant was to be named. Next day, 
according to the fairy's instructions, she presented her- 
self at the mouth of the grotto, and in due course was 
made godmother to the little fairy. For two days she 
remained there, and when she left her godchild was 
already grown up. She had, as a matter of fact, un- 
consciously remained with the 4 good people ' for ten 
years, and her mother had long mourned her as dead. 
Meanwhile the fairies had requested the poor widow to 
send another of her daughters to watch their cows. 
When at last the absent one returned to the village she 
went straight home, and her mother on beholding her 
gave a great cry. The girl could not understand her 

79 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

agitation, believing as she did that she had been absent 
for two days only. 

"Two days!" echoed the mother. "You have been 
away ten years ! Look how you have grown ! " 
After she had overcome her surprise the girl resumed 
her household duties as if nothing particular had 
happened, and knitted a pair of stockings for her 
godchild. When they were finished she carried 
them to the fairy grotto, where, as she thought, she 
spent the afternoon. But in reality she had been away 
from home this time for five years. As she was leaving, 
her godchild gave her a purse, saying : " This purse is 
full of gold. Whenever you take a piece out another 
one will come in its place, but if any one else uses it 
it will lose all its virtue." 

When the girl returned to the village at last it was to 
find her mother dead, her brothers gone abroad, and 
her sisters married, so that she was the only one left 
at home. As she was pretty and a good housewife she 
did not want for lovers, and in due time she chose one 
for a husband. She did not tell her spouse about the 
purse she had had from the fairies, and if she wanted 
to give him a piece of gold she withdrew it from the 
magic purse in secret. She never went back to the 
fairy cavern, as she had no mind to return from it and 
find her husband an old man. 

The Fisherman and the Fairies 

A fisherman of Saint- Jacut-de-la-Mer, walking home to 

his cottage from his boat one evening along the wet 

sands, came, unawares, upon a number of fairies in a 

houle. They were talking and laughing gaily, and the 

fisherman observed that while they made merry they 

80 




FAIRIES IN A BRETON ' HOULE ' 



80 



The Fisherman and the Fairies 



rubbed their bodies with a kind of ointment or pomade. 
All at once, to the old salt's surprise, they turned into 
ordinary women. Concealing himself behind a rock, 
the fisherman watched them until the now completely 
transformed ii ^mortals quitted their haunt and waddled 
away in the guise of old market-women. 
The fisherman waited until they were well out of sight, 
and then entered the cavern, where the first object that 
met his gaze was the pot of ointment which had effected 
the marvellous change he had witnessed. Taking some 
of the pomade on his forefinger, he smeared it around 
his left eye. He afterward found that he could pene- 
trate the various disguises assumed by the fairies 
wherever he met them, and that these were for the 
most part adopted for the purposes of trickery. Thus 
he was able to see a fairy in the assumed shape of a 
beggar-woman going from door to door demanding alms, 
seeking an opportunity to steal or work mischief, and 
all the while casting spells upon those who were charitable 
enough to assist her. Again, he could distinguish real 
fish caught in his net at sea from merwomen disguised 
as fish, who were desirous of entangling the nets or 
otherwise distressing and annoying the fishermen. 
But nowhere was the disguised fairy race so much in 
evidence as at the fair of Ploubalay, where he recognized 
several of the elusive folk in the semblance of raree- 
showmen, fortune-tellers, and the like, who had taken 
these shapes in order to deceive. He was quietly 
smiling at their pranks, when some of the fairies who 
composed a troupe of performers in front of one of the 
booths regarded him very earnestly. He felt certain 
that they had penetrated his secret, but ere he could 
make off one of them threw a stick at him with such 

f 81 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

violence that it struck and burst the offending left 
eye. 

Fairies in all lands have a constitutional distaste for being 
recognized, but those of Brittany appear to visit their 
vengeance upon the members with which they are actually 
beheld. " See what thieves the fairies are ! " cried a 
woman, on beholding one abstract apples from a country- 
woman's pocket. The predatory elf at once turned 
round and tore out the eye that had marked his act. 
A Cornish woman who chanced to find herself the 
guardian of an elf-child was given certain water with 
which to wash its face. The liquid had the property 
of illuminating the infant's face with a supernatural 
brightness, and the woman ventured to try it upon 
herself, and in doing so splashed a little into one eye. 
This gave her the fairy sight. One day in the market- 
place she saw a fairy man stealing, and gave the alarm, 
when the enraged sprite cried : 

" Water for elf, not water for self. 
You've lost your eye, your child, and yourself." 

She was immediately stricken blind in the right eye, 
her fairy foster-child vanished, and she and her husband 
sank into poverty and want. 

Another Breton tale recounts how a mortal woman was 
given a polished stone in the form of an egg wherewith 
to rub a fairy child's eyes. She applied it to her own 
right eye, and became possessed of magic sight so far 
as elves were concerned. Still another case, alluded to 
in the Revue Celtique, 1 arose through 1 the sacred bond ' 
formed between a fairy man and a mortal woman where 
both stood as god-parents to a child. The association 
1 Vol. i, p. 231. 
82 



Changelings 

enabled the woman to see magically. The fairy maiden 
Rockflower bestows a similar gift on her lover in a 
Breton tale from Saint-Cast, and speaks of " clearing 
his eyes like her own." 1 

Changelings 

The Breton fairies, like others of their race, are fond of 
kidnapping mortal children and leaving in their places 
wizened elves who cause the greatest trouble to the 
distressed parents. The usual method of ridding a 
family of such a changeling is to surprise it in some 
manner so that it will betray its true character. Thus, 
on suspicion resting upon a certain Breton infant who 
showed every sign of changeling nature, milk was boiled 
on the fire in egg-shells, whereupon the impish youngster 
cried : " I shall soon be a hundred years old, but I never 
saw so many shells boiling ! I was born in Pif and Paf, 
in the country where cats are made, but I never saw 
anything like it ! " Thus self-revealed, the elf was 
expelled from the house. In most Northern tales where 
the changeling betrays itself it at once takes flight and 
a train of elves appears, bringing back the true infant. 
Again, if the wizened occupant of the cradle can be 
made to laugh that is accepted as proof of its fairy 
nature. 44 Something ridiculous," says Simrock, "must 
be done to cause him to laugh, for laughter brings 
deliverance." 2 The same stratagem appears to be used 
as the cure in English and Scots changeling tales. 

The King of the Fishes 

The Breton fays were prone, too, to take the shape of 

1 Contes populaires de la Haute-Bretagne (Paris, 1880). 

2 Handbuch der deutschen Mythologie. 

83 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

animals, birds, and even of fish. As we have seen, the 
sea-fairies of Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer were in the habit of 
taking the shape of fish for the purpose of annoying 
fishermen and damaging their gear. Another Breton 
tale from Saint-Cast illustrates their penchant for the 
fish shape. A fisherman of that town one day was 
lucky enough to catch the King of the Fishes disguised 
as a small golden fish. The fish begged hard to be 
released, and promised, if he were set free, to sacrifice 
as many of his subjects as would daily fill the fisher- 
man's nets. On this understanding the finny monarch 
was given his liberty, and fulfilled his promise to the 
letter. Moreover, when the fisherman's boat was 
capsized in a gale the Fish King appeared, and, holding 
a flask to the drowning man's lips, made him drink a 
magic fluid which ensured his ability to exist under 
water. He conveyed the fisherman to his capital, a 
place of dazzling splendour, paved with gold and gems. 
The rude caster of nets instantly filled his pockets with 
the spoil of this marvellous causeway. Though probably 
rather disturbed by the incident, the Fish King, with 
true royal politeness, informed him that whenever 
he desired to return the way was open to him. The 
fisherman expressed his sorrow at having to leave such 
a delightful environment, but added that unless he 
returned to earth his wife and family would regard 
him as lost. The Fish King called a large tunny- 
fish, and as Arion mounted the dolphin in the old 
Argolian tale, so the fisherman approached the tunny, 
which 

Hollowed his back and shaped it as a selle. 1 



1 Saddle. 
84 



Fairy Origins 

The fisherman at once 

Seized the strange sea-steed by his bristling fin 
And vaulted on his shoulders ; the fleet fish 
Swift sought the shallows and the friendly shore. 1 

Before dismissing the fisherman, however, the Fish 
King presented him with an inexhaustible purse — 
probably as a hint that it would be unnecessary for him 
on a future visit to disturb his paving arrangements. 

Fairy Origins 

Two questions which early obtrude themselves in the 
consideration of Breton fairy-lore are : Are all the 
fays of Brittany malevolent ? And, if so, whence pro- 
ceeds this belief that fairy-folk are necessarily malign ? 
Example treads upon example to prove that the Breton 
fairy is seldom beneficent, that he or she is prone to 
ill-nature and spitefulness, not to say fiendish malice on 
occasion. There appears to be a deep-rooted convic- 
tion that the elfish race devotes itself to the annoyance 
of mankind, practising a species of peculiarly irritating 
trickery, wanton and destructive. Only very rarely is 
a spirit of friendliness evinced, and then a motive 
is usually obvious. The ' friendly ' fairy invariably has 
an axe to grind. 

Two reasons may be advanced to account for this 
condition of things. First, the fairy-folk — in which are 
included house and field spirits — may be the traditional 
remnant of a race of real people, perhaps a prehistoric 
race, driven into the remote parts of the country by 
strange immigrant conquerors. Perhaps these primi- 
tive folk were elfish, dwarfish, or otherwise peculiar in 
1 See the author's Le Roi <? Ys and other Poems (London, 1910). 

85 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

appearance to the superior new-comers, who would in 
pride of race scorn the small, swarthy aborigines, and 
refuse all communion with them. We may be sure that 
the aborigines, on their part, would feel for their tall, 
handsome conquerors all the hatred of which a subject 
race is capable, never approaching them unless under 
compulsion or necessity, and revenging themselves 
upon them by every means of annoyance in their power. 
We may feel certain, too, that the magic of these con- 
quered and discredited folk would be made full use of 
to plague the usurpers of the soil, and trickery, as irri- 
tating as any elf-pranks, would be brought to increase 
the discomfort of the new-comers. 

There are, however, several good objections to this 
view of the origin of the fairy idea. First and fore- 
most, the smaller prehistoric aboriginal peoples of 
Europe themselves possessed tales of little people, of 
spirits of field and forest, flood and fell. It is unlikely 
that man was ever without these. 

Yea, I sang, as now I sing, when the Prehistoric Spring 

Made the piled Biscayan ice-pack split and shove, 

And the troll, and gnome, and dwerg, and the gods of cliff and berg 

Were about me and beneath me and above. 1 

The idea of animism, the belief that everything had a 
personality of its own, certainly belonged to the later 
prehistoric period, for among the articles which fill 
the graves of aboriginal peoples, for use on the last 
journey, we find weapons to enable the deceased 
to drive off the evil spirits which would surround his 
own after death. Spirits, to early man, are always rela- 
tively smaller than himself. He beholds the "picture 

1 Kipling, " Primum Tempus." 

86 



Fairy Origins 

of a little man " in his comrade's eyes, and concludes 
it to be his 'soul.' Some primitive peoples, indeed, 
believe that several parts of the body have each their 
own resident soul. Again, the spirit of the corn or the 
spirit of the flower, the savage would argue, must in the 
nature of things be small. We can thus see how the 
belief in ' the little folk ' may have arisen, and how they 
remained little until a later day. 

A much more scientific theory of the origin of the belief 
in fairies is that which sees in them the deities of a 
discredited religion, the gods of an aboriginal people, 
rather than the people themselves. Such were the 
Irish Daoine Sidhe, and the Welsh y Mamau (' the 
Mothers') — undoubtedly gods of the Celts. Again, 
although in many countries, especially in England, the 
fairies are regarded as small of stature, in Celtic countries 
the fay proper, as distinct from the brownie and such 
goblins, is of average mortal height, and this would 
seem to be the case in Brittany, Whether the gorics 
and courils of Brittany, who seem sufficiently small, are 
fairies or otherwise is a moot point. They seem 
to be more of the field spirit type, and are perhaps 
classed more correctly with the gnome race ; we thus 
deal with them in our chapter on sprites and demons. 
It would seem, too, as if there might be ground for 
the belief that the normal-sized fairy race of Celtic 
countries had become confounded with the Teutonic idea 
of elves (Teut. Elfen) in Germany and England, from 
which, perhaps, they borrowed their diminutive size. 
But these are only considerations, not conclusions. 
Strange as it may seem, folk-lore has by no means solved 
the fairy problem, and much remains to be accomplished 
ere we can write ' Finis ' to the study of fairy origins. 

8 7 



Legends Romances of Brittany 



The Margots 

Another Breton name for the fairies is les Margots la 
fee, a title which is chiefly employed in several districts 
of the C6tes-du-Nord, principally in the arrondissements 
of Saint-Brieuc and Loudeac, to describe those fairies 
who have their abode in large rocks and on the wild 
and extensive moorlands which are so typical of the 
country. These, unlike the fees houles, are able to 
render themselves invisible at pleasure. Like human 
beings, they are subject to maladies, and are occasion- 
ally glad to accept mortal succour. They return kind- 
ness for kindness, but are vindictive enemies to those 
who attempt to harm them. 

But fairy vindictiveness is not lavished upon those 
unwitting mortals who do them harm alone. If one 
chances to succeed in a task set by the immortals of 
the forest, one is in danger of death, as the following 
story shows. 

The Boy who Served the Fairies 
A poor little fellow was one day gathering faggots in 
the forest when a gay, handsomely dressed gentleman 
passed him, and, noticing the lad's ragged and forlorn 
condition, said to him: 6 'What are you doing there, 
my boy ? " 

" I am looking for wood, sir," replied the boy. " If I 
did not do so we should have no fire at home." 
"You are very poor at home, then?" asked the 
gentleman. 

" So poor," said the lad, "that sometimes we only eat 

once a day, and often go supperless to bed." 

"That is a sad tale," said the gentleman. "If you 

88 



THE POOR BOY AND THE THREE FAIRY DAMSELS 88 



The Boy who Served the Fairies 

will promise to meet me here within a month I will 
give you some money, which will help your parents 
and feed and clothe your small brothers and sisters." 
Prompt to the day and the hour, the boy kept the 
tryst in the forest glade, at the very spot where he had 
met the gentleman. But though he looked anxiously 
on every side he could see no signs of his friend. In 
his anxiety he pushed farther into the forest, and came 
to the borders of a pond, where three damsels were 
preparing to bathe. One was dressed in white, another 
in grey, and the third in blue. The boy pulled off his 
cap, gave them good-day, and asked politely if they 
had not seen a gentleman in the neighbourhood. The 
maiden who was dressed in white told him where the 
gentleman was to be found, and pointed out a road by 
which he might arrive at his castle. 
" He will ask you," said she, " to become his servant, 
and if you accept he will wish you to eat. The first 
time that he presents the food to you, say : * It is I who 
should serve you.' If he asks you a second time make 
the same reply ; but if he should press you a third 
time refuse brusquely and thrust away the plate which 
he offers you." 

The boy was not long in finding the castle, and was 
at once shown into the gentleman's presence. As the 
maiden dressed in white had foretold, he requested 
the youth to enter his service, and when his offer was 
accepted placed before him a plate of viands. The 
lad bowed politely, but refused the food. A second 
time it was offered, but he persisted in his refusal, 
and when it was proffered to him a third time he thrust 
it away from him so roughly that it fell to the ground 
and the plate was broken. 

8 9 



Legends &> Romances of Brittany 

"Ah," said the gentleman, "you are just the kind of 
servant I require. You are now my lackey, and if you 
are able to do three things that I command you I will 
give you one of my daughters for your wife and you 
shall be my son-in-law." 

The next day he gave the boy a hatchet of lead, a 
saw of paper, and a wheelbarrow made of oak-leaves, 
bidding him fell, bind up, and measure all the wood 
in the forest within a radius of seven leagues. The 
new servant at once commenced his task, but the 
hatchet of lead broke at the first blow, the saw of 
paper buckled at the first stroke, and the wheelbarrow 
of oak-leaves was broken by the weight of the first 
little branch he placed on it. The lad in despair sat 
down, and could do nothing but gaze at the useless 
implements. At midday the damsel dressed in white 
whom he had seen at the pond came to bring him 
something to eat. 

"Alas!" she cried, "why do you sit thus idle? If my 
father should come and find that you have done nothing 
he would kill you." 

" I can do nothing with such wretched tools," grumbled 
the lad. 

"Do you see this wand?" said the damsel, producing 
a little rod. "Take it in your hand and walk round 
the forest, and the work will take care of itself. At 
the same time say these words : ' Let the wood fall, 
tie itself into bundles, and be measured.'" 
The boy did as the damsel advised him, and matters 
proceeded so satisfactorily that by a little after midday 
the work was completed. In the evening the gentleman 
said to him : 

" Have you accomplished your task?" 
90 



The Boy who Served the Fairies 

" Yes, sir. Do you wish to see it? The wood is 
cut and tied into bundles of the proper weight and 
measurement." 

" It is well," said the gentleman. "To-morrow I will 
set you the second task." 

On the following morning he took the lad to a knoll 
some distance from the castle, and said to him : 
"You see this rising ground? By this evening you 
must have made it a garden well planted with fruit- 
trees and having a fish-pond in the middle, where 
ducks and other water-fowl may swim. Here are your 
tools. ,, 

The tools were a pick of glass and a spade of earthen- 
ware. The boy commenced the work, but at the first 
stroke his fragile pick and spade broke into a thousand 
fragments. For the second time he sat down helplessly. 
Time passed slowly, and as before at midday the damsel 
in white brought him his dinner. 

" So I find you once more with your arms folded," she 
said. 

" I cannot work with a pick of glass and an earthenware 
spade," complained the youth. 

"Here is another wand," said the damsel. "Take it 
and walk round this knoll, saying : ' Let the place be 
planted and become a beautiful garden with fruit-trees, 
in the middle of which is a fish-pond with ducks swim- 
ming upon it.' " 

The boy took the wand, did as he was bid, and the work 
was speedily accomplished. A beautiful garden arose 
as if by enchantment, well furnished with fruit-trees of 
all descriptions and ornamented with a small sheet of 
water. 

Once more his master was quite satisfied with the result, 

9i 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

and on the third morning set him his third task. He 
took him beneath one of the towers of the castle. 
" Behold this tower," he said. " It is of polished 
marble. You must climb it, and at the top you will 
find a turtle-dove, which you must bring to me." 
The gentleman, who was of opinion that the damsel 
in white had helped his servant in the first two tasks, 
sent her to the town to buy provisions. When she 
received this order the maiden retired to her chamber 
and burst into tears. Her sisters asked her what was 
the matter, and she told them that she wished to remain 
at the castle, so they promised to go to the town in her 
stead. At midday she found the lad sitting at the foot 
of the tower bewailing the fact that he could not climb 
its smooth and glassy sides. 

" I have come to help you once more," said the damsel. 
" You must get a cauldron, then cut me into morsels and 
throw in all my bones, without missing a single one. 
It is the only way to succeed." 

" Never !" exclaimed the youth. " I would sooner die 
than harm such a beautiful lady as you." 
" Yet you must do as I say," she replied. 
For a long time the youth refused, but at last he gave 
way to the maiden's entreaties, cut her into little pieces, 
and placed the bones in a large cauldron, forgetting, 
however, the little toe of her left foot. Then he rose as 
if by magic to the top of the tower, found the turtle-dove, 
and came down again. 1 Having completed his task, he 
took a wand which lay beside the cauldron, and when 
he touched the bones they came together again and the 

1 In folk-tales of this nature a ladder is usually made of the bones, 
but this circumstance seems to have been omitted in the present 
instance. 



9 2 



The Boy who Served the Fairies 

damsel stepped out of the great pot none the worse for 
her experience. 

When the young fellow carried the dove to his master 
the gentleman said : 

" It is well. I shall carry out my promise and give you 
one of my daughters for your wife, but all three shall be 
veiled and you must pick the one you desire without 
seeing her face." 

The three damsels were then brought into his presence, 
but the lad easily recognized the one who had assisted 
him, because she lacked the small toe of the left foot. 
So he chose her without hesitation, and they were 
married. 

But the gentleman was not content with the marriage. 
On the day of the bridal he placed the bed of the young 
folks over a vault, and hung it from the roof by four 
cords. When they had gone to bed he came to the 
door of the chamber and said : 
" Son-in-law, are you asleep ? " 
" No, not yet," replied the youth. 

Some time afterward he repeated his question, and met 
with a similar answer. 

"The next time he comes," said the bride, "pretend 
that you are sleeping." 

Shortly after that his father-in-law asked once more if he 
were asleep, and receiving no answer retired, evidently 
well satisfied. 

When he had gone the bride made her husband rise at 
once. "Go instantly to the stables," said she, "and 
take there the horse which is called Little Wind, mount 
him, and fly." 

The young fellow hastened to comply with her request, 
and he had scarcely left the chamber when the master 

93 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

of the castle returned and asked if his daughter were 
asleep. She answered "No," and, bidding her arise 
and come with him, he cut the cords, so that the bed 
fell into the vault beneath. The bride now heard the 
trampling of hoofs in the garden outside, and rushed out 
to find her husband in the act of mounting. 
"Stay!" she cried. "You have taken Great Wind 
instead of Little Wind, as I advised you, but there is no 
help for it," and she mounted behind him. Great Wind 
did not belie his name, and dashed into the night like a 
tempest. 

" Do you see anything ? " asked the girl. 
" No, nothing," said her husband. 

" Look again," she said. " Do you see anything now ? " 

" Yes," he replied, " I see a great flame of fire." 

The bride took her wand, struck it three times, and said : 

" I change thee, Great Wind, into a garden, myself into 

a pear-tree, and my husband into a gardener." 

The transformation had hardly been effected when the 

master of the castle and his wife came up with them. 

" Ha, my good man," cried he to the seeming gardener, 

" has any one on horseback passed this way ? " 

" Three pears for a sou," said the gardener. 

" That is not an answer to my question," fumed the old 

wizard, for such he was. " I asked if you had seen any 

one on horseback in this direction." 

" Four for a sou, then, if you will," said the gardener. 

"Idiot!" foamed the enchanter, and dashed on in 

pursuit. The young wife then changed herself, her 

horse, and her husband into their natural forms, and, 

mounting once more, they rode onward. 

" Do you see anything now?" asked she. 

" Yes, I see a great flame of fire," he replied. 

94 



The Boy who Served the Fairies 

Once more she took her wand. " I change this steed 
into a church," she said, "myself into an altar, and my 
husband into a priest." 

Very soon the wizard and his wife came to the doors of 
the church and asked the priest if a youth and a lady 
had passed that way on horseback. 

" Dominus vobiscum," said the priest, and nothing more 
could the wizard get from him. 

Pursued once more, the young wife changed the horse 
into a river, herself into a boat, and her husband 
into a boatman. When the wizard came up with them 
he asked to be ferried across the river. The boatman 
at once made room for them, but in the middle of the 
stream the boat capsized and the enchanter and his wife 
were drowned. 

The young lady and her husband returned to the castle, 
seized the treasure of its fairy lord, and, says tradition, 
lived happily ever afterward, as all young spouses do in 
fairy-tale. 



95 



CHAPTER IV: SPRITES AND 
DEMONS OF BRITTANY 

THE idea of the evil spirit, malicious and revenge- 
ful, is common to all primitive peoples, and 
Brittany has its full share of demonology. 
Wherever, in fact, a primitive and illiterate peasantry is 
found the demon is its inevitable accompaniment. But 
we shall not find these Breton devils so very different 
from the fiends of other lands. 

The Nain 

The nain is a figure fearsomely Celtic in its hideousness, 
resembling the gargoyles which peer down upon the 
traveller from the carven ' top-hamper ' of so many 
Breton churches. Black and menacing of countenance, 
these demon-folk are armed with feline claws, and their 
feet end in hoofs like those of a satyr. Their dark elf- 
locks, small, gleaming eyes, red as carbuncles, and harsh, 
cracked voices are all dilated upon with fear by those 
who have met them upon lonely heaths or unfrequented 
roads. They haunt the ancient dolmens built by a 
vanished race, and at night, by the pale star-light, they 
dance around these ruined tombs to the music of a 
primitive refrain : 

" Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 
Thursday and Friday." 

Saturday and Sunday they dare not mention as being 
days sacred from fairy influence. We all remember 
that in the old tale of Tom Thumb the elves among 
whom the hero fell sang such a refrain. But wherefore ? 
It would indeed be difficult to say. Deities, credited and 

9 6 



The Nain 



discredited, have often a connexion with the calendar, 
and we may have here some calendric reference, or 
again the chant may be merely a nonsense rhyme. 
Bad luck attached itself to the human who chanced 
to behold the midnight revels of the nains, and if he 
entered the charmed circle and danced along with them 
his death was certain to ensue before the year was out. 
Wednesday was the nains' high-day, or rather night, 
and their great nuit festale was the first Wednesday in 
May. That they should have possessed a fixed festival 
at such a period, full of religious significance for most 
primitive peoples, would seem to show that they must at 
one time have been held in considerable esteem. 
But although the nains while away their time in such 
simple fashion as dancing to the repetition of the names 
of the days of the week, they have a less innocent side 
to their characters, for they are forgers of false money, 
which they fabricate in the recesses of caverns. We 
all recall stories of fairy gold and its perishable nature. 
A simple youth sells something on market day to a 
fairy, and later on turning over in his pocket the money 
he has received he finds that it has been transformed 
into beans. The housewife receives gold from a fairy 
for services rendered, and carefully places it in a 
drawer. A day when she requires it arrives, but, alas ! 
when she opens the cabinet to take it out she finds 
nothing but a small heap of withered leaves. It is such 
money that the nains manufacture in their subterranean 
mints — coin which bears the fairy impress of glamourie 
for a space, but on later examination proves to be 
merely dross. 

The nains are also regarded as the originators of a 
cabalistic alphabet, the letters of which are engraved 

g 97 



Legends <S§f Romances of Brittany 

on several of the megalithic monuments of Morbihan, 
and especially those of Gavr'inis. He who is able to 
decipher this magic script, says tradition, will be able 
to tell where hidden treasure is to be found in any part 
of the country. Lest any needy folk be of a mind to 
fare to Brittany to try their luck in this respect it is 
only right to warn them that in all probability they will 
find the treasure formula in ogham characters or 
serpentine markings, and that as the first has long 
ago been deciphered and the second is pure symbolism 
they will waste their time and money in any event. 
Sorcery hangs about the nain like a garment. Here he 
is a prophet and a diviner as well as an enchanter, and 
as much of his magic power is employed for ill, small 
wonder that the Breton peasant shudders and frowns 
when the name of the fearsome tribe is spoken and 
gives the dolmens they are supposed to haunt the 
widest of wide berths au clair de la lune. 

Crions, Couri/s, and Gorics 

Brittany has a species of dwarfs or gnomes peculiar to 
itself which in various parts of the country are known 
as crions, courils, or gorics. It will at once be seen 
how greatly the last word resembles Korrigan, and as 
all of them perhaps proceed from a root meaning ' spirit ' 
the nominal resemblance is not surprising. Like the 
nains, these smaller beings inhabit abandoned Druidical 
monuments or dwell beneath the foundations of ancient 
castles. Carnac is sometimes alluded to in Breton as 
' Ty C'harriquet,' ' the House of the Gorics,' the country- 
folk in this district holding the belief that its megalithic 
monuments were reared by these manikins, whom 
they describe as between two and three feet high, but 



Crions, Courils, and Gorics 

exceedingly strong, just as the Scottish peasantry speak 
of the Picts of folk-lore — ' wee fouk but unco' Strang.' 
Every night the gorics dance in circles round the stones 
of Carnac, and should a mortal interrupt their frolic he 
is forced to join in the dance, until, breathless and 
exhausted, he falls prone to the earth amid peals of 
mocking laughter. Like the nains, the gorics are the 
guardians of hidden treasure, for the tale goes that 
beneath one of the menhirs of Carnac lies a golden 
hoard, and that all the other stones have been set up 
the better to conceal it, and so mystify those who would 
discover its resting-place. A calculation, the key to 
which is to be found in the Tower of London, will alone 
indicate the spot where the treasure lies. And here it 
may be of interest to state that the ancient national 
fortalice of England occurs frequently in Breton and 
in Celtic romance. 1 Some of the immigrant Britons 
into Armorica probably came from the settlement which 
was later to grow into London, and may have carried 
tales of its ancient British fortress into their new home. 
The courils are peculiar to the ruins of Tresmalouen. 
Like the gorics, they are fond of dancing, and they 
are quite as malignantly inclined toward the unhappy 
stranger who may stumble into their ring. The castle 
of Morlaix, too, is haunted by gorics not more than a 
foot high, who dwell beneath it in holes in the ground. 
They possess treasures as great as those of the gnomes 
of Norway or Germany, and these they will sometimes 
bestow on lucky mortals, who are permitted, however, 
to take but one handful. If a person should attempt to 
seize more the whole of the money vanishes, and the 
offender's ears are soundly boxed by invisible hands. 
1 See Nutt, Celtic and Mediczval Romance. 

99 



Legends &> Romances of Brittany 

The night-washers (eur tunnerez noz) are evil spirits 
who appear at night on the banks of streams and call 
on the passers-by to assist them to wash the linen of the 
dead. If they are refused, they seize upon the person 
who denies them, drag him into the water, and break 
his arms. These beings are obviously the same as the 
Bean Nighe, 1 the Washing Woman ' of the Scottish 
Highlands, who is seen in lonely places beside a pool 
or stream, washing the linen of those who will shortly 
die. In Skye she is said to be short of stature. If 
any one catches her she tells all that will befall him in 
after life. In Perthshire she is represented as " small 
and round and dressed in pretty green." 

The Teurst 

In the district of Morlaix the peasants are terribly afraid 
of beings they call teursts. These are large, black, and 
fearsome, like the Highland ourisk, who haunted desert 
moors and glens. The teursta poulict appears in the 
likeness of some domestic animal. In the district of 
Vannes is encountered a colossal spirit called Teus or 
Bugelnoz, who appears clothed in white between mid- 
night and two in the morning. His office is to rescue 
victims from the devil, and should he spread his mouth 
over them they are secure from the Father of Evil. 
The Dusii of Gaul are mentioned by St Augustine, who 
regarded them as incubi, and by Isidore of Seville, and 
in the name we may perhaps discover the origin of our 
expression ' the deuce ! ' 

The Nicole 

The Nicole is a spirit of modern creation who torments 
the honest fishermen of the Bay of Saint-Brieuc and 

IOO 



The Ankou 



Saint-Malo. Just as they are about to draw in their 
nets this mischievous spirit leaps around them, freeing 
the fish, or he will loosen a boat's anchor so that it will 
drift on to a sand-bank. He may divide the cable 
which holds the anchor to the vessel and cause endless 
trouble. This spirit received its name from an officer 
who commanded a battalion of fishermen conscripts, 
and who from his intense severity and general reputation 
as a martinet obtained a bad reputation among the sea- 
faring population. 

The Mourioche 

The Mourioche is a malicious demon of bestial nature, 
able, it would seem, to transform himself into any 
animal shape he chooses. In general appearance he 
is like a year-old foal. He is especially dangerous to 
children, and Breton babies are often chided when noisy 
or mischievous with the words : " Be good, now, the 
Mourioche is coming ! " Of one who appears to have 
received a shock, also, it is said : " He has seen the 
Mourioche." Unlucky is the person who gets in his 
way ; but doubly so the unfortunate who attempts to 
mount him in the belief that he is an ordinary steed, 
for after a fiery gallop he will be precipitated into an 
abyss and break his neck. 

The Ankou 

Perhaps there is no spirit of evil which is so much 
dreaded by the Breton peasantry as the Ankou, who 
travels the duchy in a cart, picking up souls. In the 
dead of night a creaking axle-tree can be heard passing 
down the silent lanes. It halts at a door ; the summons 
has been given, a soul quits the doomed house, and the 

IOI 



Legends {§f Romances of Brittany 

wagon of the Ankou passes on. The Ankou herself — ■ 
for the dread death-spirit of Brittany is probably female 
— is usually represented as a skeleton. M. Anatole 
le Braz has elaborated a study of the whole ques- 
tion in his book on the legend of death in Brittany, 1 
and it is probable that the Ankou is a survival of the 
death-goddess of the prehistoric dolmen-builders of 
Brittany. MacCulloch 2 considers the Ankou to be a 
reminiscence of the Celtic god of death, who watches 
over all things beyond the grave and carries off the dead 
to his kingdom, but greatly influenced by medieval ideas 
of ' Death the skeleton.' In some Breton churches a 
little model or statuette of the Ankou is to be seen, and 
this is nothing more nor less than a cleverly fashioned 
skeleton. The peasant origin of the belief can be found 
in the substitution of a cart or wagon for the more 
ambitious coach and four of other lands. 

The Youdic 

Dark and gloomy are many of the Breton legends, of 
evil things, gloomy as the depths of the forests in which 
doubtless many of them were conceived. Most folk- 
tales are tinged with melancholy, and it is rarely in 
Breton story that we discover a vein of the joyous. 
Among the peaks of the Montagnes d'Arr^e lies a vast 
and dismal peat bog known as the Yeun, which has 
long been regarded by the Breton folk as the portal to 
the infernal regions. This Stygian locality has brought 
forth many legends. It is, indeed, a remarkable terri- 
tory. In summer it seems a vast moor carpeted by 
glowing purple heather, which one can traverse up to a 

1 La Legende de la Mort. 

2 Religion of the Ancient Celts , p. 345. 

I02 



THE DEMON-DOG 



The Youdic 



certain point, but woe betide him who would advance 
farther, for, surrounded by what seems solid ground, 
lies a treacherous quagmire declared by the people 
of the neighbourhood to be unfathomable. This part of 
the bog, whose victims have been many, is known as 
the Youdic. As one leans over it its waters may some- 
times be seen to simmer and boil, and the peasants of 
the country-side devoutly believe that when this occurs 
infernal forces are working beneath, madly revelling, 
and that it is only the near presence of St Michael, 
whose mount is hard by, which restrains them from 
doing active harm to those who may have to cross the 
Yeun. 

Countless stories are afloat concerning this weird mael- 
strom of mud and bubbling water. At one time it was 
the custom to hurl animals suspected of being evil spirits 
into its black depths. Malevolent fiends, it was thought, 
were wont to materialize in the form of great black dogs, 
and unfortunate animals of this type, if they evinced 
such peculiarities as were likely to place them under 
suspicion, were taken forthwith to the Youdic by a 
member of the enlightened priesthood of the district, 
and were cast into its seething depths with all the 
ceremonies suitable to such an occasion. 
A story typical of those told about the place is that of 
one Job Ann Drez, who seems to have acted as sexton 
and assisted the parish priest in his dealings with the 
supernatural. Along with the priest, Job repaired one 
evening after sunset to the gloomy waters of the Youdic, 
dragging behind him a large black dog of the species 
most likely to excite distrust in the priestly mind. The 
priest showed considerable anxiety lest the animal should 
break loose. 



103 



Legends &? Romances of Brittany 

" If he should get away," he said nervously, "both of 
us are lost." 

" I will wager he does not," replied Job, tying the cord 

by which the brute was led securely to his wrist. 

" Forward, then," said the priest, and he walked boldly 

in front, until they came to the foot of the mountain on 

the summit of which lies the Youdic. 

The priest turned warningly to Job. "You must be 

circumspect in this place," he said very gravely. 

" Whatever you may hear, be sure not to turn your 

head. Your life in this world and your salvation in the 

next depend absolutely on this. You understand me ? " 

"Yes, sir, I understand." 

A vast desolation surrounded them. So dark was the 
night that it seemed to envelop them like a velvet 
curtain. Beneath their feet they heard the hissing and 
moaning of the bog, awaiting its prey like a restless 
and voracious wild beast. Through the dense black- 
ness they could see the iridescent waters writhing and 
gleaming below. 

"Surely," said Job half to himself, "this must be the 
gateway to hell ! " 

At that word the dog uttered a frightful howl — such a 
howl as froze Job's blood in his veins. It tugged and 
strained at the cord which held it with the strength of 
a demon, striving to turn on Job and rend him. 
"Hold on!" cried the priest in mortal terror, keeping 
at a safe distance, however. " Hold on, I entreat you, 
or else we are undone ! " 

Job held on to the demon-dog with all his strength. 
Indeed, it was necessary to exert every thew and sinew 
if the animal were to be prevented from tearing him to 
pieces. Its howls were sufficient to strike terror to the 
104 



The Youdic 



stoutest heart. " Iou ! Iou ! " it yelled again and again. 
But Job held on desperately, although the cord cut his 
hands and blood ran from the scarified palms. Inch 
by inch he dragged the brute toward the Youdic. The 
creature in a last desperate effort turned and was about 
to spring on him open-mouthed, when all at once the 
priest, darting forward, threw his cloak over its head. 
It uttered a shriek which sounded through the night 
like the cry of a lost soul. 

" Quick ! " cried the priest. " Lie flat on the earth and 
put your face on the ground ! " 

Scarcely had the two men done so than a frightful 
tumult ensued. First there was the sound of a body 
leaping into the morass, then such an uproar as could 
only proceed from the mouth of the infernal regions. 
Shrieks, cries, hissings, explosions followed in quick 
succession for upward of half an hour ; then gradually 
they died away and a horrible stillness took their place. 
The two men rose trembling and unnerved, and slowly 
took their way through the darkness, groping and 
stumbling until they had left the awful vicinity of the 
Yeun behind them. 



105 



CHAPTER V: WORLD-TALES 
IN BRITTANY 

I HAVE entitled this chapter 'World-Tales' to 
indicate that the stories it contains are in plot or 
motif if not in substance common to the whole 
world — that, in short, although they are found in 
Brittany, they are no more Breton than Italian, Russian, 
American, or Australian. But although the story which 
tells of the search for the golden-haired princess on the 
magic horse is the possession of no one particular race, 
the tales recounted here have the Breton colouring and 
the Breton spirit, and in perusing them we encounter 
numerous little allusions to Breton customs or manners 
and obtain not a few sidelights upon the Breton character, 
its shrewdness and its goodwill, while we may note as 
well the narrowness of view and meanness so character- 
istic of peoples who have been isolated for a long period 
from contact with other races. 

The first two of these tales are striking ones built upon 
two world-motifs — those of the magic horse and the 
search for the golden-haired princess, who is, of course, 
the sun, two themes which have been amalgamated in 
not a few deathless stories. 

The Youth who did not Know 

One day the Marquis of Coat-Squiriou was returning 

from Morlaix, when he beheld lying on the road a little 

fellow of four or five years of age. He leapt from his 

horse, picked the child up, and asked him what he did 

there. 

" I do not know," replied the little boy. 

" Who is your father ? " asked the Marquis. 

1 06 



The Youth who did not Know 



" I do not know," said the child for the second time. 

" And your mother ? " asked the kindly nobleman. 

" I do not know." 

" Where are you now, my child ? " 

" I do not know." 

" Then what is your name ? " 

" I do not know." 

The Marquis told his serving-man to place the child on 
the crupper of his horse, as he had taken a fancy to him 
and would adopt him. He called him N'Oun Doare, 
which signifies in Breton, ' I do not know.' He educated 
him, and when his schooling was finished took him to 
Morlaix, where they put up at the best inn in the town. 
The Marquis could not help admiring his adopted son, 
who had now grown into a tall, handsome youth, and so 
pleased was he with him that he desired to signify his 
approval by making him a little present, which he 
resolved should take the form of a sword. So they 
went out into the town and visited the armourers' shops 
in search of a suitable weapon. They saw swords of all 
kinds, but N'Oun Doare would have none of them, 
until at last they passed the booth of a seller of scrap- 
metal, where hung a rusty old rapier which seemed fit 
for nothing. 

" Ha!" cried N'Oun Doare, "that is the sword for me. 
Please buy it, I beg of you." 

"Why, don't you see what a condition it is in?" said 
the Marquis. " It is not a fit weapon for a gentleman." 
"Nevertheless it is the only sword I wish for," said 
N'Oun Doare. 

" Well, well, you are a strange fellow," said the Marquis, 
but he bought the sword nevertheless, and they returned 
to Coat-Squiriou. The next day N'Oun Doare examined 

107 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

his sword and discovered that the blade had the words 
" 1 am invincible " engraved upon it. 
Some time afterward the Marquis said to him : " It is 
time that you had a horse. Come with me to Morlaix 
and we will purchase one." They accordingly set out 
for Morlaix. In the market-place they saw many fine 
animals, but with none of them was N'Oun Doare 
content. On returning to the inn, however, he espied 
what looked like a broken-down mare standing by the 
roadside, and to this sorry beast he immediately drew 
the attention of the Marquis. 

" That is the horse for me ! " he cried. " I beg of you, 
purchase it for me." 

" What ! " cried the Marquis, " that broken-down beast ? 
Why, only look at it, my son." But N'Oun Doare 
persisted, and at last, despite his own better judgment, 
the Marquis bought the animal. The man who sold it 
was a cunning-looking fellow from Cornouaille, who, as 
he put the bridle into N'Oun Doare's hand, whispered : 
" You see the knots on the halter of this animal ? " 
" Yes," replied N'Oun Doare ; " what of them ? " 
" Only this, that each time you loosen one the mare will 
immediately carry you five hundred leagues from where 
you are." 

The Marquis and his ward returned once more to the 
chateau, N'Oun Doare riding his new purchase, when it 
entered into his head to untie one of the knots on the 
halter. He did so, and immediately descended in the 
middle of Paris — which we must take the story-teller's 
word for it is five hundred leagues from Brittany ! 
Several months afterward the Marquis had occasion 
to go to Paris, and one of the first people he met there 
was N'Oun Doare, who told him of his adventure. 
1 08 



The Youth who did not Know 



The Marquis was going to visit the King, and took his 
protege along with him to the palace, where he was well 
received. 

Some nights afterward the youth was walking with his 
old mare outside the walls of Paris, and noticed some- 
thing which glittered very brightly at the foot of an 
ancient stone cross which stood where four roads met. 
He approached it and beheld a crown of gold, set with 
the most brilliant precious stones. He at once picked 
it up, when the old mare, turning its head, said to 
him : " Take care ; you will repent this." 
Greatly surprised, N'Oun Doare thought that he had 
better replace the crown, but a longing to possess it 
overcame him, and although the mare warned him once 
more he finally resolved to take it, and, putting it under 
his mantle, rode away. 

Now the King had confided to his care part of the royal 
stables, and when N'Oun Doare entered them their 
darkness was immediately lit up by the radiance of the 
crown which he carried. So well had the Breton lad 
attended to the horses under his charge that the other 
squires had become jealous, and, observing the strange 
light in N'Oun Doare's part of the stable, they mentioned 
it to the King, who in turn spoke of it to the Marquis of 
Coat-Squiriou. The Marquis asked N'Oun Doare the 
meaning of the light, and the youth replied that it came 
from the ancient sword they had bought at Morlaix, 
which was an enchanted weapon and shone at intervals 
with strange brilliance. But one night his enemies 
resolved to examine into the matter more closely, and, 
looking through the keyhole of the stable, they saw that 
the wondrous light which had so puzzled them shone 
from a magnificent crown of gold. They ran at once to 

109 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

tell the King, and next night N'Oun Doare's stable was 
opened with a master-key and the crown removed to the 
Kings quarters. It was then seen that an inscription 
was engraved upon the diadem, but in such strange 
characters that no one could read it. The magicians 
of the capital were called into consultation, but none of 
them could decipher the writing. At last a little boy 
of seven years of age was found who said that it was 
the crown of the Princess Golden Bell. The King then 
called upon N'Oun Doare to approach, and said to him : 
44 You should not have hidden this thing from me, but 
as you are guilty of having done so I doom you to find 
the Princess Golden Bell, whom I desire shall become 
my wife. If you fail I shall put you to death." 
N'Oun Doare left the royal presence in a very perturbed 
state of mind. He went to seek his old mare with tears 
in his eyes. 

44 1 know," said the mare, 44 the cause of your sorrow. 
You should have left the golden crown alone, as I told 
you. But do not repine ; go to the King and ask him 
for money for your journey." 

The lad received the money from the King, and set 
out on his journey. Arriving at the sea-shore, one 
of the first objects he beheld was a little fish cast 
up by the waves on the beach and almost at its last 
gasp. 

44 Throw that fish back into the water," said the mare. 
N'Oun Doare did so, and the fish, lifting its head from 
the water, said : 

44 You have saved my life, N'Oun Doare. I am the 
King of the Fishes, and if ever you require my help call 
my name by the sea-shore and I will come." With 
these words the Fish- King vanished beneath the water. 



The Youth who did not Know 

A little later they came upon a bird struggling vainly 

to escape from a net in which it was caught. 

" Cut the net and set that poor bird free," said the wise 

mare. 

Upon N'Oun Doare doing so the bird paused before 
it flew away and said : 

" I am the King of the Birds, N'Oun Doare. I will 
never forget the service you have rendered me, and if 
ever you are in trouble and need my aid you have only 
to call me and I shall fly swiftly to help you." 
As they went on their way N'Oun Doare's wonderful 
mare crossed mountains, forests, vast seas, and streams 
with a swiftness and ease that was amazing. Soon they 
beheld the walls of the Chateau of the Golden Bell rising 
before them, and as they drew near they could hear a 
most confused and terrible noise coming from it, which 
shook N'Oun Doare's courage and made him rather 
fearful of entering it. Near the door a being of the 
most curious aspect was hung to a tree by a chain, and 
this peculiar individual had as many horns on his body 
as there are days in the year. 

"Cut that unfortunate man down," said the mare. 

" Will you not give him his freedom ? " 

" I am too much afraid to approach him," said N'Oun 

Doare, alarmed at the man's appearance. 

" Do not fear," said the sagacious animal ; " he will not 

harm you in any manner." 

N'Oun Doare did so, and the stranger thanked him most 
gratefully, bidding him, as the others whom he had 
rescued had done, if he ever required help to call upon 
Grifescorne, King of the Demons, for that was his name, 
and he would be with him immediately. 
" Enter the chateau boldly and without fear," said the 

1 1 1 



Legends &> Romances of Brittany 

mare, "and I will await you in the wood yonder. After 
the Princess Golden Bell has welcomed you she will 
show you all the curiosities and marvels of her dwelling. 
Tell her you have a horse without an equal, which 
can dance most beautifully the dances of every land. 
Say that your steed will perform them for her diversion 
if she will come and behold it in the forest." 
Everything fell out as the mare had said, and the 
Princess was delighted and amused by the mare's 
dancing. 

" If you were to mount her," said N'Oun Doare, " I 
vow she would dance even more wonderfully than 
before ! " 

The Princess after a moment's hesitation did so. In 
an instant the adventurous youth was by her side, and 
the horse sped through the air, so that in a short space 
they found themselves flying over the sea. 
"You have tricked me!" cried the infuriated damsel. 
" But do not imagine that you are at the end of your 
troubles; and," she added viciously, "you will have 
cause to lament more than once ere I wed the old King 
of France." 

They arrived promptly at Paris, where N'Oun Doare 
presented the lovely Princess to the monarch, saying: 
" Sire, I have brought to you the Princess Golden Bell, 
whom you desire to make your wife." 
The King was dazed by the wondrous beauty of the 
Princess, and was eager for the marriage to take place 
immediately, but this the royal maiden would not hear 
of, and declared petulantly that she would not be wed 
until she had a ring which she had left behind her at 
her chateau, in a cabinet of which she had lost the key. 
Summoning N'Oun Doare, the King charged him with 
112 



N'OUN DOARE AND THE PRINCESS GOLDEN BELL ii2 



The Youth who did not Know 



the task of finding the ring. The unfortunate youth 
returned to his wise mare, feeling much cast down. 
"Why," said the mare, "foolish one! do you not 
remember the King of the Birds whom you rescued ? 
Call upon him, and mayhap he will aid you as he 
promised to do." 

With a return of hope N'Oun Doare did as he was 
bid, and immediately the royal bird was with him, and 
asked him in what way he could help him. Upon 
N'Oun Doare explaining his difficulty, the Bird-King 
summoned all his subjects, calling each one by name. 
They came, but none of them appeared to be small 
enough to enter the cabinet by way of the keyhole, 
which was the only means of entrance. The wren was 
decided to be the only bird with any chance of success, 
and he set out for the chateau. 

Eventually, with much difficulty and the loss of the 
greater part of his feathers, the bird procured the ring, 
and flew back with it to Paris. N'Oun Doare hastened 
to present the ring to the Princess. 

" Now, fair one," said the impatient King, " why delay 
our wedding longer ? " 

" Nay," said she, pouting discontentedly, "there is one 
thing that I wish, and without it I will do nothing." 
"What do you desire? You have only to speak and 
it shall be brought. 

" Well, transport my chateau with all it contains opposite 
to yours." 

" What ! " cried the King, aghast. " Impossible ! " 
"Well, then, it is just as impossible that I should marry 
you, for without my chateau I shall not consent." 
For a second time the King gave N'Oun Doare what 
seemed an insurmountable task. 



H 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

" Now indeed I am as good as lost ! " lamented the 
youth as they came to the chateau and he saw its 
massive walls towering above him. 

"Call Grifescorne, King of the Demons, to your assist- 
ance," suggested the wise mare. 

With the aid of the Demon-King and his subjects 
N'Oun Doare's task was again accomplished, and he 
and his mare followed the demon army to Paris, where 
they arrived as soon as it did. 

In the morning the people of Paris were struck dumb 
to see a wonderful palace, its golden towers flashing 
in the sun, rising opposite to the royal residence. 
"We shall be married at last, shall we not?" asked 
the King. 

"Yes," replied the Princess, "but how shall I enter my 
chateau and show you its wonders without a key, for 
I dropped it in the sea when N'Oun Doare and his 
horse carried me over it." 

Once more was the youth charged with the task, and 
through the aid of the Fish- King was able to procure 
the key, which was cut from a single diamond. None 
of the fishes had seen it, but at last the oldest fish, 
who had not appeared when his name was pronounced, 
came forward and produced it from his mouth. 
With a glad heart the successful N'Oun Doare returned 
to Paris, and as the Princess had now no more excuses 
to make the day of the wedding was fixed and the 
ceremony was celebrated with much splendour. To the 
astonishment of all, when the King and his betrothed 
entered the church N'Oun Doare followed behind with 
his mare. At the conclusion of the ceremony the 
mare's skin suddenly fell to the ground, disclosing a 
maiden of the most wonderful beauty. 
114 



The Princess of Tronkolaine 



Smiling upon the bewildered N'Oun Doare, the damsel 
gave him her hand and said : " Come with me to 
Tartary, for the king of that land is my father, and 
there we shall be wed amid great rejoicing." 
Leaving the amazed King and wedding guests, the 
pair quitted the church together. More might have 
been told of them, but Tartary is a far land and no 
news of them has of late years reached Brittany. 

The Princess of Tronkolaine 

There was once an old charcoal-burner who had twenty- 
six grandchildren. For twenty-five of them he had no 
great difficulty in procuring godparents, but for the 
twenty-sixth — that, alas ! was a different story. God- 
mothers, indeed, were to be found in plenty, but he could 
not find anyone to act as godfather. 
As he wandered disconsolately along the high road, 
dwelling on his bad luck, he saw a fine carriage coming 
toward him, its occupant no less a personage than the 
King himself. The old man made an obeisance so low 
that the King was amused, and threw him a handful of 
silver. 

" My good man," he said, "here are alms for you." 
"Your Majesty," replied the charcoal-burner, " I do not 
desire alms. I am unhappy because I cannot find a 
godfather for my twenty-sixth grandchild." 
The King considered the matter. 

" I myself will be godfather to the child," he said at 
length. "Tell me when it is to be baptized and I will 
meet you at the church." 

The old man was delighted beyond measure, and in 
due time he and his relatives brought the child to be 
baptized. When they reached the church, sure enough, 

ii5 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

there was the King waiting to take part in the ceremony, 
and in his honour the child was named Charles. Before 
taking leave the King gave to the charcoal-burner the 
half of a coin which he had broken in two. This 
Charles on reaching his eighteenth birthday was to 
convey to the Court at Paris, as a token whereby his 
godfather should know him. His Majesty also left a 
thousand crowns, which were to be utilized in the 
education and general upbringing of the child. 
Time passed and Charles attained his eighteenth birth- 
day. Taking the King's token, he set out for the royal 
abode. As he went he encountered an old man, who 
warned him on no account to drink from a certain well 
which he would pass on his way. The lad promised to 
regard the warning, but ere he reached the well he had 
forgotten it. 

A man sat by the side of the well. 

" You are hot and tired," he said, feigning courtesy, 
" will you not stop to drink ? " 

The water was cool and inviting. Charles bent his head 
and drank thirstily. And while he drank the stranger 
robbed him of his token ; but this he did not know till 
afterward. 

Gaily Charles resumed his way, while the thief went to 
Paris by a quicker route and got there before him. 
Boldly the thief demanded audience of the King, and 
produced the token so wickedly come by. The sovereign 
ordered the other half of the coin to be brought out, 
and lo ! they fitted exactly. And because the thief had 
a plausible face the good King did not doubt that he 
was indeed his godson. He therefore had him treated 
with all honour and respect, and bestowed gifts upon 
him lavishly. 
116 



The Princess of Tronkolaine 

Meanwhile Charles had arrived in Paris, and, rinding 
that he had been deprived of his only means of proving 
his identity to the King, he accepted the situation 
philosophically and set about earning his living. He 
succeeded in obtaining a post as herdsman on the royal 
estates. 

One day the robber was greatly disconcerted to find the 
real Charles at the very gates of the palace. He deter- 
mined to be rid of him once for all, so he straightway 
approached the King. 

"Your Majesty, there is a man among your retainers 
who has said that he will demand of the sun why it is so 
red at sunrise." 

" He is indeed a foolish fellow," said the King. "Our 
decree is that he shall carry out his rash boast to-morrow 
ere sunset, or, if it be but idle folly, lose his head on 
the following morning." 

The thief was delighted with the success of his plot. 
Poor Charles was summoned before the King and bidden 
to ask the sun why he was so red at sunrise. In vain he 
denied having uttered the speech. Had not the King 
the word of his godson ? 

Next morning Charles set out on his journey. Ere he 
had gone very far he met an old man who asked him his 
errand, and afterward gave him a wooden horse on 
which to ride to the sun. Charles thought this but a 
sorry joke. However, no sooner had he mounted his 
wooden steed than it rose into the air and flew with him 
to where the sun's castle towered on the peak of a lofty 
mountain. 

To the sun, a resplendent warrior, Charles addressed 
his query. 

" In the morning," said the sun, " I pass the castle of the 

ii7 



Legends {§P Romances of Brittany 

Princess of Tronkolaine, and she is so lovely that I must 
needs look my best." 

Charles, mounted on his wooden horse, flew with this 
answer to Paris. The King was satisfied, but the thief 
gnashed his teeth in secret rage, and plotted yet further 
against the youth. 

"Your Majesty," he said, "this herdsman who tends 
vour herds has said that he will lead hither the Princess 
of Tronkolaine to be your bride." 

" If he has said so," replied the King, "he shall lead her 
hither or forfeit his life." 

"Alas!" thought Charles, when he learned of the plot, 
" I must bid farewell to my life — there is no hope 
for me ! " 

All the same he set out boldly enough, and by and by 
encountered the old man who had helped him on his 
previous mission. To him Charles confided his troubles, 
begging for advice and assistance. 
The old man pondered. 

" Return to the Court," he said, "and ask the King to 
give you three ships, one laden with oatmeal, another 
with bacon, and the third with salt meat. Then sail on 
till you come to an island covered with ants. To their 
monarch, the Ant- King, make a present of the cargo of 
oatmeal. He will direct you to a second island, whereon 
dwell fierce lions. Fear them not. Present your cargo 
of bacon to their King and he will become your friend. 
Yet a third island you will touch, inhabited only by 
sparrow-hawks. Give to their King your cargo of 
salt meat and he will show you the abode of the 
Princess." 

Charles thanked the sage for his advice, which he 
promptly proceeded to follow. The King granted him 
118 



The Princess of Tronkolaine 

the three ships, and he sailed away in search of the 
Princess. 

When he came to the first island, which was swarming 
with ants, he gave up his cargo of grain, and so won 
the friendship of the little creatures. At the second 
island he unloaded the bacon, which he presented to 
the King of the Lions ; while at the third he gave up 
the salt beef to the King of the Sparrow-hawks, who 
directed him how to come at the object of his quest. 
Each monarch bade Charles summon him instantly if 
he had need of assistance. 

Setting sail from the island of the sparrow-hawks, the 
youth arrived at length at the abode of the Princess. 
She was seated under an orange-tree, and as Charles 
gazed upon her he thought her the most beautiful 
woman in the world, as indeed she was. 
The Princess, looking up, beheld a comely youth, 
beneath whose ardent gaze her eyes fell. Smiling 
graciously, she invited him into her castle, and he, 
nothing loath, followed her into the great hall, where 
tempting viands were spread before him. 
When he had supped he made known his errand to the 
Princess, and begged her to accompany him to Paris. 
She agreed only on condition that he would perform 
three tasks set him, and when Charles was curious to 
know what was required of him she led him into another 
room where was a large heap of every kind of seed — 
corn, barley, clover, flax — all mixed up anyhow. 
" This is the first task," said the Princess: "you must 
put each kind of seed into a different heap, so that no 
single seed shall be out of its place. This you must 
accomplish ere to-morrow at sunrise." With that she 
left the room. 



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Legends SP Romances of Brittany 

Charles was in despair, until he bethought him of his 
friend the King of the Ants, whom he begged to help 
him. Scarcely had he uttered the words when ants 
began to fill the room, coming from he knew not where. 
In less time than it takes to tell they had arranged the 
seeds into separate heaps, so that no single seed was 
out of its place. 

When the Princess arrived in the morning she was 
astonished to find the hero fast asleep and the work 
accomplished. All day she entertained him hospitably 
in her castle, and at nightfall she showed him the second 
task. An avenue of great oaks led down from the 
castle. Giving him a wooden axe and a wooden saw, 
the Princess bade him cut down all the trees ere 
morning. 

When she had left him Charles called upon the King 
of the Lions. Instantly a number of lions bounded upon 
the scene, and with teeth and claws soon performed 
the task. 

In the morning the Princess, finding Charles asleep and 
all the trees cut down, was more astonished than ever. 
The third task was the most difficult of all. A high 
mountain had to be levelled to the plain in a single 
night. Without the help of the sparrow-hawks, Charles 
would certainly have failed, but these faithful creatures 
worked with a will, and soon had the great mountain 
carried away piece by piece and dropped into the sea. 
When the Princess came for the third time and found 
the hero asleep by the finished task she fell in love with 
him straightway, and kissed him softly on the brow. 
There was now nothing further to hinder his return, 
and he begged the Princess to accompany him to Paris. 
In due time they arrived in that city, to be welcomed 
120 



The Princess Starbright 

with great warmth by the people. The beauty of the 
lady won all hearts. But great was the general 
astonishment when she declared that she would marry, 
not the King, but the youth who had brought her to 
Paris ! Charles thereupon declared himself the true 
godson of the King, and the monarch, far from being 
angry, gave the couple his blessing and great estates ; 
and when in course of time he died they reigned in his 
stead. 

As for the thief, he was ordered to execution forthwith, 
and was roasted to death in a large oven. 

The Princess Starbright 

This is another tale which introduces the search for the 
sun-princess in a peculiar setting. 

In the long ago there lived near the Lake of L£guer 
a jolly miller who found recreation after his work in 
shooting the wild swans and ducks which frequented 
that stretch of water. One December day, when it was 
freezing hard and the earth was covered with snow, he 
observed a solitary duck near the edge of the lake. 
He shot at it, and went forward to pick it up, when he 
saw to his amazement that it had changed into a beautiful 
princess. He was ready to drop into the snow with 
fright, but the lady came graciously forward to him, 
saying : 

' ' Fear not, my brave fellow, for know that I have 
been enchanted these many years under the form of 
a wild duck, because of the enmity of three malicious 
demons. You can restore me permanently to my 
human shape if you choose to show only a litle per- 
severance and courage." 

"Why, what do you desire me to do, madam?" 

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Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

stammered the miller, abashed by the lady's beauty 
and condescension. 

" What only a brave man could accomplish, my friend," 
she replied ; " all that you have to do is to pass three 
consecutive nights in the old manor which you can see 
over there." 

The miller shuddered, for he had heard the most terrible 
stories in connexion with the ruined manor, which had 
an evil name in the district. 

" Alas! madam," he said, " whom might I not encounter 
there ! Even the devil himself — — " 
" My good friend," said the Princess, sadly, "if you do 
as I ask you will have to encounter not one but a dozen 
devils, who will torment you in every possible way. 
But fear nothing, for I can provide you with a magic 
ointment which will preserve you entirely from all the 
injuries they would attempt to inflict upon you. Even 
if you were dead I could resuscitate you. I assure you 
that if you will do as I ask you will never regret it. 
Beneath the hearthstone in the hall of the manor are 
three casks of gold and three of silver, and all these will 
belong to you and to me if you assist me ; so put your 
courage to the proof, I pray you." 

The miller squared his shoulders. " Lady," he said, " I 
will obey you, even if I have to face a hundred devils 
instead of twelve." 

The Princess smiled encouragingly and disappeared. 
On the following night the miller set out for the old 
manor, carrying a bundle of faggots to make a fire, and 
some cider and tobacco to refresh him during his vigil. 
When he arrived in the dismal old place he sat himself 
down by the hearth, where he had built a good fire, and 
lit his pipe. But he had scarcely done so when he 



The Princess Starbright 

heard a most tremendous commotion in the chimney. 
Somewhat scared, he hid himself under an old bed 
which stood opposite the hearth, and, gazing anxiously 
from his place of concealment, beheld eleven grisly 
fiends descend from the flue. They seemed astonished 
to find a fire on the hearth, and did not appear to be in 
the best of tempers. 

"Where is Boiteux?" cried one. "Oh," growled 
another, who appeared to be the chief of the band, "he 
is always late." 

"Ah, behold him," said a third, as Boiteux arrived by 
the same road as his companions. 

"Well, comrades," cried Boiteux, "have you heard the 
news ? " The others shrugged their shoulders and shook 
their heads sulkily. 

"Well," said Boiteux, "I am convinced that the miller 
of Leguer is here, and that he is trying to free the 
Princess from the enchantment which we have placed 
upon her." 

A hurried search at once took place, the demons 
scrambling from one part of the room to the other, 
tearing down the curtains and making every effort to 
discover the hiding-place of the intruder. At last 
Boiteux, peering under the bed, saw the miller crouching 
there, and cried out : " Here is the rogue beneath 
the bed." 

The unlucky miller was then seized by the foot and 
dragged into the shrieking and leaping circle. With 
a gesture of command the chief demon subdued the 
antics of his followers. 

"So, my jolly miller," said he, "our friend the Princess 
has found a champion in you, has she ? Well, we are 
going to have some sport with you, which I fear will 

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Legends Romances of Brittany 

not be quite to your taste, but I can assure you that 
you will not again have the opportunity of assisting a 
princess in distress." 

With this he seized the miller and thrust him from him 
with great force. As he flew like a stone from a sling, 
another of the fiends seized him, and the unhappy 
man was thrown violently about from one to the other. 
At last they threw him out of the window into the court- 
yard, and as he did not move they thought that he was 
dead. But in the midst of their laughter and rejoicing 
at the easy manner in which they had got rid of him, 
cockcrow sounded, and the diabolic company swiftly 
disappeared. They had scarcely taken their departure 
when the Princess arrived. She tenderly anointed the 
miller's hurts from the little pot of magic ointment she 
had brought with her, and, nothing daunted, now that 
he was thoroughly revived, the bold fellow announced 
his intention of seeing the matter through and remaining 
in the manor for the two following nights. 
He had scarcely ensconced himself in his seat by the 
chimney-side on the second night when the twelve fiends 
came tumbling down the chimney as before. At one 
end of the room was a large heap of wood, behind which 
the miller quickly took refuge. 

" I smell the smell of a Christian! " cried Boiteux. A 
search followed, and once more the adventurous miller 
was dragged forth. 

"Oho!" cried the leader, "so you are not dead after 
all ! Well, I can assure you that we shall not botch our 
work on this occasion." 

One of the grisly company placed a large cauldron of 
oil upon the fire, and when this was boiling they seized 
their victim and thrust him into it. The most dreadful 

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The Princess Starbright 

agony seized the miller as the liquid seethed around his 
body, and he was just about to faint under the intensity 
of the torture when once again the cock crew and the 
fiendish band took themselves off. The Princess 
quickly appeared, and, drawing the miller from the 
cauldron, smeared him from head to foot with the 
ointment. 

On the third night the devils once more found the miller 
in the apartment. In dismay Boiteux suggested that 
he should be roasted on a spit and eaten, but unluckily 
for them they took a long time to come to this con- 
clusion, and when they were about to impale their 
victim on the spit, the cock crew and they were forced 
to withdraw, howling in baffled rage. The Princess 
arrived as before, and was delighted to see that this time 
her champion did not require any assistance. 
"All is well now," she said. " You have freed me from 
my enchantment and the treasure is ours." 
They raised the hearthstone from its place, and, as she 
had said, the three casks of gold and the three casks of 
silver were found resting beneath it. 
" Take what you wish for yourself," said the Princess. 
"As for me, I cannot stay here ; I must at once make 
a journey which will last a year and a day, after which 
we shall never part again." 

With these words she disappeared. The miller was 
grieved at her departure, but, consoling himself with 
the treasure, made over his mill to his apprentice and, 
apprising one of his companions of his good luck, 
resolved to go upon a journey with him, until such time 
as the Princess should return. He visited the neigh- 
bouring countries, and, with plenty of money at his 
disposal, found existence very pleasant indeed. After 

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Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

some eight months of this kind of life, he and his friend 
resolved to return to Brittany, and set out on their 
journey. One day they encountered on the road an old 
woman selling apples. She asked them to buy, but the 
miller was advised by his friend not to pay any heed to 
her. Ignoring the well-meant advice, the miller laughed 
and bought three apples. He had scarcely eaten one 
when he became unwell. Recalling how the fruit had 
disagreed with him, he did not touch the other apples 
until the day on which the Princess had declared she 
would return. When on the way to the manor to meet 
her, he ate the second apple. He began to feel sleepy, 
and, lying down at the foot of a tree, fell into a deep 
slumber. 

Soon after the Princess arrived in a beautiful star- 
coloured chariot drawn by ten horses. When she saw 
the miller lying sleeping she inquired of his friend what 
had chanced to him. The man acquainted her with the 
adventure of the apples, and the Princess told him that 
the old woman from whom he had purchased them was 
a sorceress. 

"Alas!" she said, " I am unable to take him with me 
in this condition, but I will come to this place to-morrow 
and again on the following day, and if he be awake I 
will transport him hence in my chariot. Here are a 
golden pear and a handkerchief ; give him these and tell 
him that I will come again." 

She disappeared in her star-coloured equipage. Shortly 
afterward the miller wakened, and his friend told him 
what had occurred and gave him the pear and the 
kerchief. The next day the friends once more repaired 
to the spot where the Princess had vanished, but in 
thoughtlessness the miller had eaten of the third apple, 
126 



The Princess Starbright 

and once more the Princess found him asleep. In 
sorrow she promised to return next day for the last time, 
once more leaving a golden pear and a handkerchief 
with his friend, to whom she said : 

" If he is not awake when I come to-morrow he will 
have to cross three powers and three seas in order to 
find me." 

Unluckily, however, the miller was still asleep when 
the Princess appeared on the following day. She 
repeated what she had said to his friend concerning the 
ordeal that the unfortunate miller would have to face 
before he might see her again, and ere she took her 
departure left a third pear and a third handkerchief 
behind her. When the miller awoke and found that she 
had gone he went nearly crazy with grief, but neverthe- 
less he declared his unalterable intention of regaining the 
Princess, even if he should have to travel to the ends of 
the earth in search of her. Accordingly he set out to 
find her abode. He walked and walked innumerable 
miles, until at last he came to a great forest. As he 
arrived at its gloomy borders night fell, and he con- 
sidered it safest to climb a tree, from which, to his great 
satisfaction, he beheld a light shining in the distance. 
Descending, he walked in the direction of the light, and 
found a tiny hut made of the branches of trees, in which 
sat a little old man with a long white beard. 
" Good evening, grandfather," said the miller. 
"Good evening, my child," replied the old man. "I 
behold you with pleasure, for it is eighty years since I 
have seen any human being." 

The miller entered the hut and sat down beside the old 
man, and after some conversation told him the object 
of his journey. 

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Legends Romances of Brittany 

" I will help you, my son," said the ancient. " Do you 
see these enchanted gaiters ? Well, I wore them at your 
age. When you buckle them over your legs you will 
be able to travel seven leagues at a single step, and you 
will arrive without any difficulty at the castle of the 
Princess you desire so much to see again." 
The miller passed the night in the hut with the old 
hermit, and on the following morning, with the rising 
of the sun, buckled on the magic gaiters and stepped 
out briskly. All went well to begin with, nothing 
arrested his progress, and he sped over rivers, forests, 
and mountains. As the sun was setting he came to the 
borders of a second forest, where he observed a second 
hut, precisely similar to that in which he had passed 
the previous night. Going toward it, he found it 
occupied by an aged woman, of whom he demanded 
supper and lodging. 

" Alas ! my son," said the old woman, " you do ill to 
come here, for I have three sons, terrible fellows, who 
will be here presently, and I am certain that if you 
remain they will devour you." 

The miller asked the names of the sons, and was 
informed by the old woman that they were January, 
February, and March. From this he concluded that 
the crone he was addressing was none other than the 
mother of the winds, and on asking her if this was so 
she admitted that he had judged correctly. While they 
were talking there was a terrible commotion in the 
chimney, from which descended an enormous giant with 
white hair and beard, breathing out clouds of frost. 
"Aha!" he cried, " I see, mother, that you have not 
neglected to provide for my supper ! " 
" Softly, softly, good son," said the old dame ; "this is 
128 



The Princess Starbright 

little Yves, my nephew and your cousin ; you must not 
eat him." The giant, who seemed greatly annoyed, 
retired into a corner, growling. Shortly afterward his 
brothers, February and March, arrived, and were 
told the same tale regarding the miller's relationship 
to them. 

Our hero, resolved to profit by the acquaintanceship, 
asked the gigantic February if he would carry him to 
the palace of the Princess, whom he described. 
" Ah," said February, " without doubt you speak of the 
Princess Starbright. If you wish I will give you a lift 
on my back part of the way." 

The miller gratefully accepted the offer, and in the 
morning mounted on the back of the mighty wind- 
giant, who carried him over a great sea. Then, after 
traversing much land and a second ocean, and while 
crossing a third spacious water, February expressed 
himself as quite fatigued and said that he could not 
carry his new cousin any farther. The miller glanced 
beneath him at the great waste of waters and begged 
him to make an effort to reach the land on the other 
side. Giving vent to a deep-throated grumble, February 
obeyed, and at last set him down outside the walls of 
the town where the castle of the Princess Starbright was 
situated. The miller entered the town and came to an 
inn, and, having dined, entered into conversation with 
the hostess, asking her the news of the place. 
"Why," said the woman, amazed, " where do you come 
from that you don't know that the Princess Starbright 
is to be married to-day, and to a husband that she does 
not love ? The wedding procession will pass the door 
in a few moments on its way to the church." 
The miller was greatly downcast at these words, but 

i 1 29 



Legends <§f Romances of Brittany 

plucking up courage he placed on a little table before 
the inn the first of the pears and handkerchiefs that the 
Princess had left with his friend. Shortly afterward 
the wedding procession passed, and the Princess 
immediately remarked the pear and the kerchief, and 
also recognized the miller standing close by. She 
halted, and, feigning illness, begged that the ceremony 
might be postponed until the morrow. Having re- 
turned to the palace, she sent one of her women to 
purchase the fruit and the handkerchief, and these 
the miller gave the maiden without question. On the 
following day the same thing happened, and on the 
third occasion of the Princess's passing the same series 
of events occurred. This time the Princess sent for 
the miller, and the pair embraced tenderly and wept 
with joy at having recovered each other. 
Now the Princess was as clever as she was beautiful, 
and she had a stratagem by which she hoped to marry 
the miller without undue opposition on the part of her 
friends. So she procured the marriage garments of the 
prince, her fianc^ and attiring the miller in them, took 
him to the marriage feast, which had been prepared for 
the fourth time at a late hour ; but she hid her lover in 
a secluded corner from the public gaze. After a while 
she pretended to be looking for something, and upon 
being asked what she had lost, replied : 
" I have a beautiful coffer, but, alas! I have lost the 
key of it. I have found a new key, but it does not fit 
the casket ; should I not search until I have recovered 
the old one ? " 

" Without doubt ! " cried every one. Then the Princess, 
going to the place where the miller was concealed, led 
him forth by the hand. 
130 



The Castle of the Sun 

" My lords and gentles," she said, " the coffer I spoke 
of is my heart ; here is the one key that can fit it, the 
key that I had lost and have found again." 
The Princess and the miller were married amid universal 
rejoicings ; and some time after the ceremony they did 
not fail to revisit the Lake of Leguer, the scene of their 
first meeting, the legend of which still clings like the 
mists of evening to its shores. 

This quaint and curious tale, in which the native folk- 
lore and French elements are so strangely mingled, 
deals, like its predecessor, with the theme of the search 
for the fairy princess. We turn now to another tale of 
quest with somewhat similar incidents, where the solar 
nature of one of the characters is perhaps more obvious 
— the quest for the mortal maiden who has been carried 
off by the sun-hero. We refrain in this place from 
indicating the mythological basis which underlies such 
a tale as this, as such a phenomenon is already amply 
illustrated in other works in this series. 

The Castle of the Sun 

There once lived a peasant who had seven children, six 
of them boys and the seventh a girl. They were very 
poor and all had to work hard for a living, but the 
drudges of the family were the youngest son, Yvon, 
and his sister, Yvonne. Because they were gentler and 
more delicate than the others, they were looked upon 
as poor, witless creatures, and all the hardest work was 
given them to do. But the children comforted each 
other, and became but the better favoured as they 
grew up. 

One day when Yvonne was taking the cattle to pasture 
she encountered a handsome youth, so splendidly garbed 

131 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

that her simple heart was filled with awe and admiration. 
To her astonishment he addressed her and courteously 
begged her hand in marriage. " To-morrow," he said, 
" I shall meet you here at this hour, and you shall give 
me an answer." 

Troubled, yet secretly happy, Yvonne made her way 
home, and told her parents all that had chanced. At 
first they laughed her to scorn, and refused to believe 
her story of the handsome prince, but when at length 
they were convinced they told her she was free to marry 
whom she would. 

On the following day Yvonne betook herself to the 
trysting-place, where her lover awaited her, even more 
gloriously resplendent than on the occasion of his first 
coming. The very trappings of his horse were of 
gleaming gold. At Yvonne's request he accompanied 
her to her home, and made arrangements with her 
kindred for the marriage. To all inquiries regarding 
his name and place of abode he returned that these 
should be made known on the wedding morning. 
Time passed, and on the day appointed the glittering 
stranger came to claim his wife. The ceremony over, 
he swept her into a carriage and was about to drive 
away, when her brothers reminded him of his promise 
to reveal his identity. 

" Where must we go to visit our sister? " they asked. 
''Eastward," he replied, "to a palace built of crystal, 
beyond the Sea of Darkness." 
And with that the pair were gone. 

A year elapsed, and the brothers neither saw nor heard 
anything of their sister, so that at length they decided 
to go in search of her. Yvon would have accompanied 
them, but they bade him stay at home. 
132 



The Castle of the Sun 



" You are so stupid," they said, " you would be of no use 
to us." 

Eastward they rode, and ever eastward, till at length 
they found themselves in the heart of a great forest. 
Then night came on and they lost the path. Twice 
a great noise, like the riot of a tempest, swept over 
their heads, leaving them trembling and stricken with 
panic. 

By and by they came upon an old woman tending a 
great fire, and of her they inquired how they might 
reach the abode of their brother-in-law. 
" I cannot tell," said the old woman, "but my son may 
be able to direct you." 

For the third time they heard the noise as of a great 
wind racing over the tree-tops. 

"Hush!" said the old woman, "it is my son ap- 
proaching." 

He was a huge giant, this son of hers, and when he 
drew near the fire he said loudly : 
" Oh ho ! I smell the blood of a Christian ! " 
"What!" cried his mother sharply. "Would you eat 
your pretty cousins, who have come so far to visit us ? " 
At that the giant became quite friendly toward his 
'cousins,' and when he learned of their mission even 
offered to conduct them part of the way. 
Notwithstanding his amiability, however, the brothers 
spent an anxious night, and were up betimes on the 
following morning. 

The giant made ready for departure. First of all he 
bade the old woman pile fresh fuel on the fire. Then 
he spread a great black cloth, on which he made the 
brothers stand. Finally he strode into the fire, and 
when his clothes were consumed the black cloth rose 

133 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

into the air, bearing the brothers with it. Its going was 
marked by the sound of rushing wind which had terrified 
them on the preceding day. At length they alighted on 
a vast plain, half of which was rich and fertile, while the 
other half was bleak and arid as a desert. The plain 
was dotted with horses, and, curiously enough, those on 
the arid side were in splendid condition, whereas those 
on the fertile part were thin and miserable. 
The brothers had not the faintest idea of which direction 
they ought to take, and after a vain attempt to mount 
the horses on the plain they decided to return home. 
After many wanderings they arrived at their native 
place once more. 

When Yvon learned of the ill-success which had attended 
their mission he decided to go himself in search of his 
sister, and though his brothers laughed at him they gave 
him an old horse and bade him go. 

Eastward and eastward he rode, till at length he reached 
the forest where the old woman still tended the fire. 
Seeing that he was strong and fearless, she directed 
him by a difficult and dangerous road, which, however, 
he must pursue if he wished to see his sister. 
It was indeed a place of terrors. Poisonous serpents 
lay across his track ; ugly thorns and briers sprang 
underfoot ; at one point a lake barred his way. 
Finally a subterranean passage led him into his sisters 
country, where everything was of crystal, shining with 
the splendour of the sun itself. At the end of a gleam- 
ing pathway rose a castle built entirely of crystal, its 
innumerable domes and turrets reflecting the light in 
a thousand prismatic hues. 

Having gained access to the castle through a cave, 
Yvon wandered through its many beautiful chambers, 

134 



The Castle of the Sun 

till in one of these he came upon his sister asleep on 
a silken couch. 

Entranced with her beauty, and not daring to wake 
her, he slipped behind a curtain and watched her in 
silence ; but as time went on he marvelled that she 
did not wake. 

At eventide a handsome youth — Yvon's brother-in-law — 
entered the chamber, struck Yvonne sharply three times, 
then flung himself down by her side and went to sleep. 
All night Yvon waited in his place of concealment. In 
the morning the young man rose from his couch, gave 
his wife three resounding blows, and went away. Only 
then did Yvon emerge and wake his sister. 
Brother and sister exchanged a tender greeting, and 
found much to talk of after their long separation. Yvon 
learned that the country to which he had come was 
a peculiar place, where meat and drink could be entirely 
dispensed with, while even sleep was not a necessity. 
"Tell me, Yvonne," he said, remembering what he had 
seen of his brother-in-law, "does your husband treat 
you well ? " 

Yvonne assured him that her husband was all she could 

wish — that she was perfectly happy. 

"Is he always absent during the day?" he asked 

anxiously. 

" Always." 

" Do you know where he goes ? " 
" I do not, my brother." 

"I have a mind," said Yvon, "to ask him to let me 
accompany him on his journey. What say you, sister ? " 
" It is a very good plan," said Yvonne. 
At sundown her husband returned home. He and 
Yvon became very good friends, and the latter begged 

135 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

to be allowed to accompany him on his journey the 
following day. 

"You may do so," was the response, "but only on 
one condition : if you touch or address anyone save 
me you must return home." 

Yvon readily agreed to accept the condition, and early 
next morning the two set off. Ere long they came 
to a wide plain, one half of which was green and fruit- 
ful, while the other half was barren and dry. On this 
plain cattle were feeding, and those on the arid part 
were fat and well-conditioned, while the others were 
mean and shrivelled to a degree. Yvon learned from 
his companion that the fat cattle represented those 
who were contented with their meagre lot, while the 
lean animals were those who, with a plentiful supply of 
worldly goods, were yet miserable and discontented. 
Many other strange things they saw as they went, but 
that which seemed strangest of all to Yvon was the 
sight of two trees lashing each other angrily with their 
branches, as though each would beat the other to the 
ground. 

Laying his hands on them, he forbade them to fight, 
and lo ! in a moment they became two human beings, 
a man and wife, who thanked Yvon for releasing them 
from an enchantment under which they had been laid 
as a punishment for their perpetual bickering. 
Anon they reached a great cavern from which weird 
noises proceeded, and Yvon would fain have advanced 
farther ; but his companion forbade him, reminding him 
that in disenchanting the trees he had failed to observe 
the one essential condition, and must return to the 
palace where his sister dwelt. 

There Yvon remained for a few days longer, after which 
136 



The Seigneur with the Horse's Head 

his brother-in-law directed him by a speedy route to 
his home. 

"Go," said the prince, "but ere long you will return, 

and then it will be to remain with us for ever." 

On reaching his native village Yvon found all trace 

of his dwelling gone. Greatly bewildered, he inquired 

for his father by name. An old greybeard replied. 

" I have heard of him," he said. " He lived in the 

days when my grandfather's grandfather was but a boy, 

and now he sleeps in the churchyard yonder." 

Only then did Yvon realize that his visit to his sister 

had been one, not of days, but of generations ! 

The Seigneur with the Horses Head 
Famous among all peoples is the tale of the husband 
surrounded by mystery — bespelled in animal form, like 
the Prince in the story of Beauty and the Beast, 
nameless, as in that of Lohengrin, or unbeheld of his 
spouse, as in the myth of Cupid and Psyche. Among 
uncivilized peoples it is frequently forbidden to the wife 
to see her husband's face until some time after marriage, 
and the belief that ill-luck will befall one or both 
should this law be disregarded runs through primitive 
story, being perhaps reminiscent of a time when the 
man of an alien or unfriendly tribe crept to his wife's 
lodge or hut under cover of darkness and returned ere 
yet the first glimmer of dawn might betray him to the men 
of her people. The story which follows, however, deals 
with the theme of the enchanted husband whose wife must 
not speak to anyone until her first child receives the sacra- 
ment of baptism, and is, perhaps, unique of its kind. 
There lived at one time in the old chateau of Kerouez, 
in the commune of Loguivy - Plougras, a rich and 

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Legends &f Romances of Brittany 

powerful seigneur, whose only sorrow was the dreadful 
deformity of his son, who had come into the world with 
a horse's head. He was naturally kept out of sight as 
much as possible, but when he had attained the age 
of eighteen years he told his mother one day that he 
desired to marry, and requested her to interview a 
farmer in the vicinity who had three pretty young 
daughters, in order that she might arrange a match 
with one of them. 

The good lady did as she was requested, not without 
much embarrassment and many qualms of conscience, 
and after conversing upon every imaginable subject, 
at length gently broke the object of her visit to the 
astonished farmer. The poor man was at first horrified, 
but little by little the lady worked him into a good 
humour, so that at last he consented to ask his daughters 
if any one of them would agree to marry the afflicted 
young lord. The two elder girls indignantly refused 
the offer, but when it was made plain to them that 
she who espoused the seigneur would one day be 
chatelaine of the castle and become a fine lady, the 
eldest daughter somewhat reluctantly consented and 
the match was agreed upon. 

Some days afterward the bride-to-be happened to pass 
the castle and saw the servants washing the linen, when 
one cried to her : 

" How in the world can a fine girl like you be such a fool 
as to throw herself away on a man with a horse's head ? " 
" Bah ! " she replied, "he is rich, and, let me tell you, 
we won't be married for long, for on the bridal night 
I shall cut his throat." 

Just at that moment a gay cavalier passed and smiled 
at the farmer's daughter. 

138 



The Seigneur with the Horse's Head 

u You are having a strange conversation, mademoiselle," 
he said. She coloured and looked somewhat confused. 
" Well, sir," she replied, " it is hateful to be mocked by 
these wenches because I have the bad luck to be 
espoused to a seigneur with a horse's head, and I assure 
you I feel so angry that I shall certainly carry out my 
threat." 

The unknown laughed shortly and went his way. In 
time the night of the nuptials arrived. A grand fete 
was held at the chateau, and, the ceremony over, the 
bridesmaids conducted the young wife to her chamber. 
The bridegroom shortly followed, and to the surprise of 
his wife, no sooner had the hour of sunset come than 
his horse's head disappeared and he became exactly as 
other men. Approaching the bed where his bride lay, 
he suddenly seized her, and before she could cry out or 
make the least clamour he killed her in the manner in 
which she had threatened to kill him. 
In the morning his mother came to the chamber, and 
was horrified at the spectacle she saw. 
"Gracious heavens! my son, what have you done?" 
she cried. 

" I have done that, my mother," replied her son, " which 
was about to be done to me." 

Three months afterward the young seigneur asked his 
mother to repair once more to the farmer with the 
request that another of his daughters might be given 
him in marriage. The second daughter, ignorant of 
the manner of her sister's death, and mindful of the 
splendid wedding festivities, embraced the proposal 
with alacrity. Like her sister, she chanced to be 
passing the washing-green of the castle one day, and 
the laundresses, knowing of her espousal, taunted her 

139 



Legends &f Romances of Brittany 

upon it, so that at last she grew very angry and 
cried : 

" I won't be troubled long with the animal, I can assure 
you, for on the very night that I wed him I shall kill 
him like a pig ! " 

At that very moment the same unknown gentleman 
who had overheard the fatal words of her sister passed, 
and said : 

" How now, young women, that's very strange talk of 
yours ! " 

"Well, monseigneur," stammered the betrothed girl, 
"they are twitting me upon marrying a man with a 
horse's head ; but I will cut his throat on the night 
of our wedding with as little conscience as I would cut 
the throat of a pig." The unknown gentleman laughed 
as he had done before and passed upon his way. 
As on the previous occasion, the wedding was celebrated 
with all the pomp and circumstance which usually 
attends a Breton ceremony of the kind, and in due time 
the bride was conducted to her chamber, only to be 
found in the morning weltering in her blood. 
At the end of another three months the seigneur dis- 
patched his mother for the third time to the farmer, with 
the request that his younger daughter might be given 
him in marriage, but on this occasion her parents were 
by no means enraptured with the proposal. When 
the great lady, however, promised them that if they 
consented to the match they would be given the 
farm to have and to hold as their own property, they 
found the argument irresistible and reluctantly agreed. 
Strange to say, the girl herself was perfectly composed 
about the matter, and gave it as her opinion that if her 
sisters had met with a violent death they were entirely 
140 



The Seigneur with the Horse's Head 

to blame themselves, for some reason which she could 
not explain, and she added that she thought that their 
loose and undisciplined way of talking had had much 
to do with their untimely fate. Just as her sisters had 
been, she too was taunted by the laundresses regarding 
her choice of a husband, but her answer to them was 
very different. 

" If they met with their deaths," she said, "it was 
because of their wicked utterances. I do not in the 
least fear that I shall have the same fate." 
As before the unknown seigneur passed, but this time, 
without saying anything, he hurried on his way and was 
soon lost to view. 

The wedding of the youngest sister was even more 
splendid than that of the two previous brides. On the 
following morning the young seigneur's mother hastened 
with fear and trembling to the marriage chamber, and 
to her intense relief found that her daughter-in-law was 
alive. For some months the bride lived happily with 
her husband, who every night at set of sun regained his 
natural appearance as a young and handsome man. In 
due time a son was born to them, who had not the least 
sign of. his semi-equine parentage, and when they were 
about to have the infant baptized the father said to the 
young mother : 

" Hearken to what I have to say. I was condemned to 
suffer the horrible enchantment you know of until such 
time as a child should be born to me, and I shall be 
immediately delivered from the curse whenever this 
infant is baptized. But take care that you do not speak 
a word until the baptismal bells cease to sound, for if 
you utter a syllable, even to your mother, I shall dis- 
appear on the instant and you will never see me more." 

141 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

Full of the resolve not to utter a single sound, the young 
mother, who lay in bed, kept silent, until at last she 
heard the sound of bells, when, in her joy, forgetting 
the warning, she turned to her mother, who sat near, 
with words of congratulation on her lips. A few 
moments afterward her husband rushed into the room, 
the horse's head still upon his shoulders. He was 
covered with sweat, and panted fiercely. 
" Ah, miserable woman," he cried, " what have you done ? 
I must leave you, and you shall never see me more ! " 
and he made as if to quit the room. His wife rose from 
her bed, and strove to detain him, but he struck at her 
with his fist. The blood trickled out and made three 
spots on his shirt. 

" Behold these spots," cried the young wife; "they 
shall never disappear until I find you." 
"And I swear to you," cried her husband, "that you 
will never find me until you have worn out three pairs 
of iron shoes in doing so." 

With these words he ran off at such speed that the 
poor wife could not follow him, and, fainting, she sank 
to the ground. 

Some time after her husband had left her the young 
wife had three pairs of iron shoes made and went in 
search of him. After she had travelled about the world 
for nearly ten years the last pair of shoes began to show 
signs of wear, when she found herself one day at a castle 
where the servants were hanging out the clothes to dry, 
and she heard one of the laundresses say : 
"Do you see this shirt? I declare it is enchanted, for 
although I have washed it again and again I cannot rub 
out these three spots of blood which you see upon it." 
When the wanderer heard this she approached the 
142 



The Bride of Satan 

laundress and said to her : " Let me try, I pray you. I 
think I can wash the shirt clean." 

They gave her the shirt, she washed it, and the spots 
disappeared. So grateful was the laundress that she 
bade the stranger go to the castle and ask for a meal and 
a bed. These were willingly granted her, and at night 
she was placed in a small apartment next to that occupied 
by the lord of the castle. From what she had seen she 
was sure that her husband was the lord himself, so when 
she heard the master of the house enter the room next 
door she knocked upon the boards which separated it 
from her own. Her husband, for he it was, replied 
from the other side ; then, entering her room, he 
recognized his wife, and they were happily united after 
the years of painful separation. To the wife's great joy 
her husband was now completely restored to his proper 
form, and nothing occurred to mar their happiness for 
the rest of their lives. 

The Bride of Satan 

Weird and terrible as are many of the darksome legends of 
Brittany, it may be doubted if any are more awe-inspiring 
than that which we are now about to relate. " Those 
who are affianced three times without marrying shall 
burn in hell," says an old Breton proverb, and it is 
probably this aphorism which has given the Bretons 
such a strong belief in the sacred nature of a betrothal. 
The fantastic ballad from which this story is taken is 
written in the dialect of Leon, and the words are put 
into the mouth of a maiden of that country. Twice 
had she been betrothed. On the last occasion she had 
worn a robe of the finest stuff, embroidered with twelve 
brilliant stars and having the figures of the sun and 

143 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

moon painted upon it, like the lady in Madame 
d'Aulnoy's story of Finette Cendron {Cinderella). On 
the occasion when she went to meet her third fiance' 
in church she almost fainted as she turned with her 
maidens into the little road leading up to the building, 
for there before her was a great lord clad in steel 
cap-a-pie, wearing on his head a casque of gold, his 
shoulders covered by a blood-coloured mantle. Strange 
lights flashed from his eyes, which glittered under his 
casque like meteors. By his side stood a huge black 
steed, which ever and again struck the ground im- 
patiently with his hoofs, throwing up sparks of fire. 
The priest was waiting in the church, the bridegroom 
arrived, but the bride did not come. Where had she 
gone ? She had stepped on board a barque with the 
dark steel-clad lord, and the ship passed silently over 
the waters until it vanished among the shadows of 
night. Then the lady turned to her husband. 
"What gloomy waters are these through which we sail, 
my lord ? " she asked. 

" This is the Lake of Anguish," he replied in hollow tones. 
"We sail to the Place of Skulls, at the mouth of Hell." 
At this the wretched bride wept bitterly. "Take back 
your wedding-ring!" she cried. "Take back your 
dowry and your bridal gifts ! " 

But he answered not. Down they descended into 
horrid darkness, and as the unhappy maiden fell there 
rang in her ears the cries of the damned. 
This tale is common to many countries. The fickle 
maiden is everywhere regarded among primitive peoples 
with dislike and distrust. But perhaps the folk-ballad 
which most nearly resembles that just related is the 
Scottish ballad of The Demon Lover, which inspired 
144 



THE BRIDE OF SATAN 



The Baron of Jauioz 

the late Hamish MacCunn, the gifted Scottish com- 
poser, in the composition of his weird and striking 
orchestral piece, The Ship d the Fiend. 

The Baron of Jauioz 

Another tradition which tells of the fate of an unhappy- 
maiden is enshrined in the ballad of The Baron of 
fauioz. Louis, Baron of Jauioz, in Languedoc, was 
a French warrior of considerable renown who flourished 
in the fourteenth century, and who took part in many 
of the principal events of that stirring epoch, fighting 
against the English in France and Flanders under the 
Duke of Berry, his overlord. Some years later he 
embarked for the Holy Land, but, if we may believe 
Breton tradition, he returned, and while passing through 
the duchy fell in love with and actually bought for a sum 
of money a young Breton girl, whom he carried away 
with him to France. The unfortunate maiden, so far 
from being attracted by the more splendid environment 
of his castle, languished and died. 

" I hear the note of the death-bird," the ballad begins 
sadly; "is it true, my mother, that I am sold to the 
Baron of Jauioz ? " 

"Ask your father, little Tina, ask your father/' is the 
callous reply, and the question is then put to her father, 
who requests the unfortunate damsel to ask her brother, 
a harsh rustic who does not scruple to tell her the 
brutal truth, and adds that she must depart immediately. 
The girl asks what dress she must wear, her red gown, 
or her gown of white delaine. 

" It matters little, my daughter," says the heartless 
mother. "Your lover waits at the door mounted on 
a great black horse. Go to him on the instant." 

k 145 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

As she leaves her native village the clocks are striking, 
and she weeps bitterly. 

" Adieu, Saint Anne!" she says. "Adieu, bells of my 
native land ! " 

Passing the Lake of Anguish she sees a band of the 
dead, white and shadowy, crossing the watery expanse 
in their little boats. As she passes them she can hear 
their teeth chatter. At the Valley of Blood she espies 
other unfortunates. Their hearts are sunken in them 
and all memory has left them. 

After this terrible ride the Baron and Tina reach the 
castle of Jauioz. The old man seats himself near the 
fire. He is black and ill-favoured as a carrion crow. 
His beard and his hair are white, and his eyes are like 
firebrands. 

"Come hither to me, my child," says he, "come with 
me from chamber to chamber that I may show you my 
treasures." 

"Ah, seigneur," she replies, the tears falling fast, "I 
had rather be at home with my mother counting the 
chips which fall from the fire." 

" Let us descend, then, to the cellar, where I will show 
you the rich wines in the great bins." 
"Ah, sir, I would rather quaff the water of the fields 
that my father's horses drink." 

" Come with me, then, to the shops, and I will buy you 
a sumptuous gown." 

" Better that I were wearing the working dress that 
my mother made me." 

The seigneur turns from her in anger. She lingers at 

the window and watches the birds, begging them to 

take a message from her to her friends. 

At night a gentle voice whispers : " My father, my 

146 



The Man of Honour 

mother, for the love of God, pray for me ! " Then all 
is silence. 

In this striking ballad we find strong traces of the 
Breton love of country and other national traits. The 
death-bird alluded to is a grey bird which sings during 
the winter in the Landes country in a voice soft and 
sad. It is probably a bird of the osprey species. It 
is thought that the girl who hears it sing is doomed to 
misfortune. The strange and ghostly journey of the 
unhappy Tina recalls the mise en scene of such ballads 
as The Bride of Satan, and it would seem that she 
passes through the Celtic Tartarus. It is plain that 
the Seigneur of Jauioz by his purchase of their country- 
woman became so unpopular among the freedom-loving 
Bretons that at length they magnified him into a species 
of demon — a traditionary fate which he thoroughly de- 
served, if the heartrending tale concerning his victim 
has any foundation in fact. 

The Man of Honour 

The tale of the man who is helped by the grateful dead 
is by no means confined to Brittany. Indeed, in folk- 
tale the dead are often jealous of the living and act 
toward them with fiendish malice. But in the following 
we have a story in which a dead man shows his grati- 
tude to the living for receiving the boon of Christian 
burial at his hands. 

There was once a merchant-prince who had gained a 
great fortune by trading on land and sea. Many ships 
were his, and with these he traded to far countries, 
reaping a rich harvest. He had a son named Iouenn, 
and he was desirous that he too should embrace the 
career of a merchant and become rich. When, there- 

147 



Legends ®f Romances of Brittany 

fore, Iouenn declared his willingness to trade in distant 
lands his father was delighted and gave him a ship 
full of Breton merchandise, with instructions to sell it 
to the best advantage in a foreign country and return 
home with the gold thus gained. 

After a successful voyage the vessel arrived at a 
foreign port, and Iouenn presented his father's letters 
to the merchants there, and disposed of his cargo so 
well that he found himself in possession of a large sum 
of money. One day as he was walking on the outskirts 
of the city he saw a large number of dogs gathered 
round some object, barking at it and worrying it. 
Approaching them, he discovered that that which they 
were worrying was nothing less than the corpse of a 
man. Making inquiries, he found that the unfortunate 
wretch had died deeply in debt, and that his body had 
been thrown into the roadway to be eaten by the dogs. 
Iouenn was shocked to see such an indignity offered to 
the dead, and out of the kindness of his heart chased 
the dogs away, paid the debts of the deceased, and 
granted his body the last rites of sepulture. 
A few days afterward he left the port where these 
things had happened and set out on his homeward 
voyage. He had not sailed far when one of the 
mariners drew his attention to a strange ship a little 
distance away, which appeared to be draped entirely 
in black. 

" That is indeed a curious vessel," said Iouenn. 

" Wherefore is it draped in black? and for what reason 

do those on board bewail so loudly? " 

While he spoke the ship drew nearer, and Iouenn 

called to the people who thronged its decks, asking 

why they made such loud laments. 

148 



The Man of Honour 

"Alas! good sir," replied the captain of the strange 
ship, " not far from here is an island inhabited by an 
enormous serpent, which for seven years has demanded 
an annual tribute of a royal princess, and we are now 
bearing another victim to her doom." 
Iouenn laughed. " Where is the Princess?" he asked. 
At that moment the Princess came on deck, weeping 
and wringing her hands. Iouenn was so struck by 
her beauty that he there and then declared in the most 
emphatic manner that she should never become the 
prey of the serpent. On learning from the captain 
that he would hand over the maiden if a sufficient bribe 
were forthcoming, he paid over to him the last of the 
money he had gained from his trading, and taking the 
Princess on his own vessel sailed homeward. 
In due time Iouenn arrived home and was welcomed 
with delight by his father ; but when the old man 
learned the story of what had been done with his 
money he was furious ; nor would he believe for a 
moment that the lady his son had rescued was a verit- 
able princess, but chased Iouenn from his presence with 
hard and bitter words. Nevertheless Iouenn married 
the royal lady he had rescued, and they started house- 
keeping in a tiny dwelling. Time went on, and the 
Princess presented her husband with a little son, but 
by this time fortune had smiled upon Iouenn, for an 
uncle of his, who was also a merchant, had entrusted 
him with a fine vessel to trade in Eastern lands ; so, 
taking with him the portraits of his wife and child, he 
set out on his voyage. With a fresh wind and favour- 
able conditions generally he was not long in coming to 
the city where his wife's father reigned. Now, some 
mariners of the port, having entered the ship out of 

149 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

curiosity, observed the portrait of the Princess, and 
informed the King of the circumstance. The King 
himself came to the ship and demanded to know what 
had become of his daughter. Iouenn did not, of course, 
realize that the monarch was his father-in-law, and 
assured him that he knew nothing of his daughter, 
whereupon the King, growing very angry, had him 
cast into prison and ordered his ship to be broken to 
pieces and burned. In prison Iouenn made friends 
with his gaoler, to whom he related his history, which 
the gaoler in turn told the King, with the result that 
the prisoner was brought before the monarch, who 
desired him to set out at once to bring his daughter 
back, and for this purpose fitted him out with a new 
vessel. But the old monarch took the precaution of 
sending two of his ministers along with the Breton 
sailor in case he should not return. The party soon 
came to Brittany, and found the Princess and her 
infant safe. 

Now one of the King's ministers had loved the Princess 
for a long time, and consequently did not regard her 
husband with any great degree of favour ; so when they 
re-embarked on the return journey to her father's 
kingdom her suspicions were aroused, and, fully aware 
of the minister's crafty nature, she begged her husband 
to remain with her as much as possible. But Iouenn 
liked to be on the bridge, whence he could direct the 
operations of his mariners, and laughed at his wife's 
fears. One night as he leaned over the side of the 
vessel, gazing upon the calm of the star-strewn sea, his 
enemy approached very stealthily and, seizing "him by 
the legs, cast him headlong into the waters. After this 
he waited for a few moments, and, hearing no sound, 

150 



The Man of Honour 

cried out that the captain had fallen overboard. A 
search was made, but with no avail. The Princess was 
distraught, and in the belief that her husband had 
perished remained in her cabin lamenting. But Iouenn 
was a capital swimmer and struck out lustily. He swam 
around for a long time, without, however, encountering 
any object upon which he could lay hold to support 
himself. Meanwhile the ship sailed on her course, and 
in due time arrived at the kingdom of the Princess's 
father, by whom she was received with every demon- 
stration of joy. Great festivities were announced, and 
so pleased was the old King at his daughter's return 
that he willingly consented to her marriage with the 
treacherous minister, whom he regarded as the instru- 
ment of her deliverance. But the Princess put off the 
wedding-day by every possible artifice, for she felt in 
her heart that her husband was not really lost to her. 

Let us return now to Iouenn. After swimming for 
some time he came upon a barren rock in the middle 
of the ocean, and here, though beaten upon by 
tempests and without any manner of shelter save that 
afforded by a cleft in the rock, he succeeded in living 
for three years upon the shell-fish which he gathered on 
the shores of his little domain. In that time he had 
grown almost like a savage. His clothes had fallen off 
him and he was thickly covered with matted hair. The 
only mark of civilization he bore was a chain of gold en- 
circling his neck, the gift of his wife. One night he was 
sitting in his small dwelling munching his wretched 
supper of shell-fish when an eerie sound broke the 
stillness. He started violently. Surely these were 
human accents that he heard — yet not altogether human, 
for their weird cadence held something of the super- 

*5i 



Legends <S|f Romances of Brittany 

natural, and cold as he was he felt himself grow still 
more chilly. 

"Cold, cold," cried the voice, and a dreadful chattering 
of teeth ended in a long-drawn wail of " Hou, hou, hou ! " 
The sound died away and once more he was left amid 
the great silence of the sea. 

The next evening brought the same experience, but 
although Iouenn was brave he dared not question his 
midnight visitor. On the third occasion, however, he 
demanded : " Who is there ? " 

Out of the darkness there crawled a man completely 
naked, his body covered with blood and horrible 
wounds, the eyes fixed and glassy. 

Iouenn trembled with horror. "In the name of God, 
who are you ? " he cried. 

" Ha, so you do not remember me, Iouenn ? " asked the 
phantom. " I am that unfortunate man whose body 
you gave decent burial, and now I have come to help 
you in turn. Without doubt you wish to leave this 
desert rock on which you have suffered so long." 
" I do, most devoutly," replied Iouenn. 
" Well, you will have to make haste," said the dead 
man, "for to-morrow your wife is going to be married 
to the minister of your father-in-law, the wretch who 
cast you into the sea. Now if you will promise to give 
me a share of all that belongs to yourself and your 
wife within a year and a day, I will carry you at once 
to the palace of your father-in-law." 
Iouenn promised to do as the phantom requested, and 
the dread being then asked him to mount upon his 
back. Iouenn did so, and the corpse then plunged into 
the sea, and, swimming swiftly, soon brought him to 
the port where his father-in-law reigned. When it had 

i5 2 



The Man of Honour 

set him safely on shore it turned and with a wave of its 
gaunt white arm cried, " In a year and a day," then 
plunged back into the sea. 

When the door-keeper of the palace opened the gate in 
the morning he was astounded to see what appeared to 
be an animal crouching on the ground outside and crying 
for help. It was Iouenn. The palace lackeys crowded 
round him and threw him morsels of bread, which he 
devoured with avidity. One of the waiting-women told 
the Princess of the strange being who crouched outside. 
She descended in order to view him, and at once ob- 
served the golden chain she had given to her husband 
round his neck. Iouenn immediately rushed to embrace 
her. She took him to her chamber and clothed him 
suitably. By this time the bridal preparations had 
been completed, and, like the Princess in the story of 
the Miller of L^guer, the bride asked the advice of the 
company as to whether it were better to search for an 
old key that fitted a coffer in her possession or make 
use of a new key which did not fit; the coffer, of course, 
being her heart and the respective keys her husband 
and the minister. All the company advised searching 
for the old key, when she produced Iouenn and ex- 
plained what she had meant. The crafty minister grew 
pale as death at sight of Iouenn, and the King stormed 
furiously. 

" Ho, there ! " he cried, "build a great fire, varlets, 
and cast this slave into it." All the company thought 
at first that his words were intended to apply to Iouenn, 
but when they saw him point at the minister whose guilt 
the Princess had made plain, they applauded and the 
wretch was hurried away to his doom. 
Iouenn and the Princess lived happily at the Court, and 

*53 



Legends ftf Romances of Brittany 

in time a second little son was born to them. Their 
first child had died, and they were much rejoiced at 
its place being filled. Iouenn had entirely forgotten 
his indebtedness to the dead man, but one day in the 
month of November, when his wife was sitting quietly 
by the fire nursing her infant, with her husband 
opposite her, three loud knocks resounded upon the 
door, which flew open and revealed the horrible form 
of the corpse to which Iouenn owed his freedom. The 
Princess shrieked at sight of the phantom, which said 
in deep tones : " Iouenn, remember thy bargain." 
Trembling, Iouenn turned to his wife and asked her 
for the keys of their treasure-house, that he might give 
their terrible visitor a portion of their wealth, but with a 
disdainful wave of its arm the apparition bade him cease. 
M It is not your wealth I require, Iouenn," it said in 
hollow tones. " Behold that which I desire," and it 
pointed to the infant slumbering in its mother's arms. 
Once more the Princess cried aloud, and clasped her 
little one to her bosom. 

" My infant ! " cried Iouenn in despair. " Never ! " 

" If you are a man of honour," said the corpse, " think 

of your promise made on the barren rock." 

" It is true," said Iouenn, wringing his hands, "but oh, 

remember how I saved your body from the dogs." 

" I only ask what is my due," said the ghost. " Besides, 

I do not desire all your infant, but a share of it only." 

"Wretch!" cried Iouenn, "are you without a heart? 

Have then your wish, for honour with me is above all." 

The infant was then undressed and laid between the 

two upon a table. 

"Take your sword," said the phantom, "and cut off a 
portion for me." 

154 



The Man of Honour 

" Ah, I would that I were on that desert rock in the 
middle of the ocean!" cried the unhappy father. He 
raised his weapon and was about to strike, when the 
phantom called upon him to hold. 

" Harm not your infant, Iouenn," it cried. " I see 
clearly that you are a man of honour and that you have 
not forgotten the service I rendered you ; nor do I fail 
to remember what you did for me, and how it is through 
you that I am able to dwell in Paradise, which I would 
not have been permitted to enter had my debts not 
been paid and my body given burial. Farewell, until 
we meet above." And with these words the apparition 
vanished. 

Iouenn and the Princess lived long, respected by all, 
and when the old King died Iouenn, the man of his 
word, was made King in his place. 



155 



CHAPTER VI : BRETON 
FOLK-TALES 

THE stories told here under the title of 'folk- 
tales ' are such as do not partake so much of 
the universal element which enters so largely 
into Breton romance, but those which have a more 
national or even local tinge and are yet not legendary. 
The homely flavour attached to many stories of this 
kind is very apparent, and it is evident that they have 
been put together in oral form by unknown ' makers,' 
some of whom had either a natural or artistic aptitude 
for story-telling. In the first of the following tales it 
is curious to note how the ancient Breton theme has 
been put by its peasant narrator into almost a modern 
dress. 

The Magic Rose 

An aged Breton couple had two sons, the elder of 
whom went to Paris to seek his fortune, while the 
younger one was timid by nature and would not leave 
the paternal roof. His mother, who felt the burden of 1] 
her age, wished the stay-at-home to marry. At first he 
would not hear of the idea, but at last, persuaded by 11 
her, he took a wife. He had only been married a few 
weeks, however, when his young bride sickened and ml 
died. La Rose, for such was his name, was inconsol- 
able. Every evening he went to the cemetery where 
his wife was buried, and wept over her tomb. 
One night he was about to enter the graveyard on his 
sad errand when he beheld a terrible phantom standing 
before him, which asked him in awful tones what he did 
there. 



The Magic Rose 

" I am going to pray at the tomb of my wife," replied 
the terrified La Rose. 

"Do you wish that she were alive again?" asked the 
spirit. 

"Ah, yes!" cried the sorrowing husband. "There is 
nothing that I would not do in order that she might be 
restored to me." 

" Hearken, then," said the phantom. " Return to this 
place to-morrow night at the same hour. Provide your- 
self with a pick and you will see what comes to pass." 
On the following night the young widower was punc- 
tually at the rendezvous. The phantom presented itself 
before him and said : 

"Go to the tomb of your wife and strike it with your 
pick ; the earth will turn aside and you will behold her 
lying in her shroud. Take this little silver box, which 
contains a rose ; open it and pass it before her nostrils 
three times, when she will awake as if from a deep 
sleep." 

La Rose hastened to the tomb of his wife, and every- 
thing happened as the phantom had predicted. He 
placed the box containing the rose to his wife's nostrils 
and she awoke with a sigh, saying: "Ah, I have been 
asleep for a long time." Her husband provided her 
with clothes which he had brought with him, and they 
returned to their house, much to the joy of his parents. 
Some time afterward La Rose's father died at a great 
age, and the grief-stricken mother was not long in 
following him to the grave. La Rose wrote to his 
brother in Paris to return to Brittany in order to receive 
his portion of the paternal inheritance, but he was 
unable to leave the capital, so La Rose had perforce 
to journey to Paris. He promised his wife before 

157 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

leaving that he would write to her every day, but on 
his arrival in the city he found his brother very ill, and 
in the anxiety of nursing him back to health he quite 
forgot to send his wife news of how he fared. 
The weeks passed and La Rose's wife, without word of 
her husband, began to dread that something untoward 
had happened to him. Day by day she sat at her 
window weeping and watching for the courier who 
brought letters from Paris. A regiment of dragoons 
chanced to be billeted in the town, and the captain, 
who lodged at the inn directly opposite La Rose's 
house, was greatly attracted by the young wife. He 
inquired of the landlady who was the beautiful dame 
who sat constantly weeping at her window, and learned 
the details of her history. He wrote a letter to her 
purporting to come from La Rose's brother in Paris, 
telling her that her husband had died in the capital, 
and some time after paid his addresses to the supposed 
widow, who accepted him. They were married, and 
when the regiment left the town the newly wedded pair 
accompanied it. 

Meanwhile La Rose's brother recovered from his illness, 
and the eager husband hastened back to Brittany. But 
when he arrived at his home he was surprised to find 
the doors closed, and was speedily informed of what 
had occurred during his absence. For a while he was 
too grief-stricken to act, but, recovering himself some- 
what, he resolved to enlist in the regiment of dragoons 
in which the false captain held his commission. The 
beauty of his handwriting procured him the post of 
secretary to one of the lieutenants, but although he 
frequently attempted to gain sight of his wife he never 
succeeded in doing so. One day the captain entered 



The Magic Rose 

the lieutenant's office, observed the writing of La Rose, 
and asked his brother officer if he would kindly lend 
him his secretary for a few days to assist him with some 
correspondence. While helping the captain La Rose 
beheld his wife, who did not, however, recognize him. 
Greatly pleased with his work, the captain invited him to 
dinner. During the repast a servant, who had stolen a 
silver dish, fearing that it was about to be missed, slid 
it into La Rose's pocket, and when it could not be 
found, accused the secretary of the theft. La Rose was 
brought before a court-martial, which condemned him 
to be shot. 

While in prison awaiting his execution La Rose struck 
up an acquaintance with an old veteran named Pere La 
Chique, who brought him his meals and seemed kindly 
disposed to him. 

" Pere La Chique," said La Rose one day, " I have two 
thousand francs ; if you will do as I ask you they shall 
be yours." 

The veteran promised instantly, and La Rose requested 
that after he was shot La Chique should go to the 
cemetery where he was buried and resuscitate him with 
the magic rose, which he had carefully preserved. On 
the appointed day La Rose was duly executed, but 
Pere La Chique, with his pockets full of money, went 
from inn to inn, drinking and making merry. Whenever 
the thought of La Rose crossed his mind, he muttered 
to himself in bibulous accents : " Poor fellow, poor 
fellow, he is better dead. This is a weary world ; why 
should I bring him back to it ? " 

When Pere La Chique had caroused with his comrades 
for some days the two thousand francs had almost dis- 
appeared. Then remorse assailed him and he made up 

159 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

his mind to do as La Rose had wished. Taking a pick 
and an axe he went to the graveyard, but when he 
struck the grave with his tools and the earth rolled 
back, disclosing the body of La Rose, the old fellow 
was so terrified that he ran helter-skelter from the spot. 
A draught of good wine brought back his failing courage, 
however, and he returned and passed the rose three 
times under the nostrils of his late acquaintance. 
Instantly La Rose sat up. 

" By my faith, I've had a good sleep ! " he said, rubbing 

his eyes. " Where are my clothes ? " 

Pere La Chique handed him his garments, and after he 

had donned them they quitted the graveyard with all 

haste. 

La Rose now found it necessary to cast about for a 
living. One day he heard the sound of a drum in the 
street, and, following it, found that it was beaten by a 
crier who promised in the King's name a large reward 
to those who would enlist as sentinels to guard a chapel 
where the King's daughter, who had been changed into 
a monster, was imprisoned. La Rose accepted the offer, 
and then learned to his dismay that the sentinel who 
guarded the place between the hours of eleven and 
midnight was never seen again. On the very first night 
that he took up his duties this perilous watch fell to his 
lot. He felt his courage deserting him, and he was 
about to fly when he heard a voice say : " La Rose, 
where are you ? " 

La Rose trembled. " What do you wish with me?" 
he asked. 

" Hearken to me, and no evil will befall you," replied 
the voice. " Soon a great and grisly beast will ap- 
pear. Leave your musket by the side of the sentry- 
160 



The Magic Rose 

box, climb on the top, and the beast will not touch 
you." 

As eleven o'clock struck La Rose heard a noise and 
hastened to climb on the top of the sentry-box. Soon 
a hideous monster came out of the chapel, breathing 
flames and crying: "Sentinel of my father, where art 
thou, that I may devour thee ? " As it uttered these 
words, it fell against the musket, which it seized between 
its teeth. Then the creature disappeared into the 
chapel and La Rose descended from his perch. He 
found the musket broken into a thousand pieces. 
The old King was delighted to learn that his sentinel 
had not been devoured, for in order that his daughter 
should be delivered from her enchantment as a beast 
it was necessary that the same sentinel should mount 
guard for three consecutive nights between the hours of 
eleven and midnight. 

On the following night La Rose was pacing up and 
down on guard, when the same voice addressed him, 
telling him on this occasion to place his musket before 
the door of the chapel. The beast issued as before, 
seized the musket, broke it into small pieces, and 
returned to the chapel. On the third night the voice 
advised him to throw open the door of the chapel, and 
when the beast came out to run into the building himself, 
where he would see a leaden shrine, behind which he 
could take refuge, and where he would find a small bottle, 
with the contents of which he was to sprinkle the beast's 
head. With its usual dreadful roar the monster issued 
from the chapel. La Rose leapt past it and ran for the 
leaden shrine. It followed him with hideous howls, and 
he only reached the protective sanctuary in time. 
Seizing the little bottle which lay there, he fearlessly 

l 161 



Legends &? Romances of Brittany 

fronted the beast and sprinkled its contents over its 
head. Instantly it changed into a beautiful princess, 
whom La Rose escorted to her delighted parents. 
La Rose and the princess were betrothed and duly 
married, and shortly afterward the King gave up his 
throne to his son-in-law. 

One day the new King was inspecting the regiment of 
dragoons to which he had once belonged. 
" Colonel," he said, " I miss a man from your regiment." 
" It is true, sire," replied the Colonel. " It is an old 
fellow called Pere La Chique, whom we have left at the 
barracks playing his violin, the old good-for-nothing ! " 
" I wish to see him," said the King. 

Pere La Chique was brought forward trembling, and 
the King, tearing the epaulettes from the shoulders of 
the captain who had stolen his wife, placed them on 
those of Pere La Chique. He then gave orders for a 
great fire to be lit, in which were burned the wicked 
captain and the wife who had so soon forgotten her 
husband. 

La Rose and his Queen lived happily ever afterward — 
which is rather odd, is it not, when one thinks of the 
treatment meted out to his resuscitated spouse ? But 
if the lights in folk-tale are bright, the shadows are 
correspondingly heavy, and rarely does justice go hand 
in hand with mercy in legend ! 

Norouas, the North-west JVind 

Brittany has an entire cycle of folk-tales dealing with 

the subject of the winds — which, indeed, play an 

extraordinary part in Breton folk-lore. The fishermen 

of the north coast frequently address the winds as 

if they were living beings, hurling opprobrious epithets 

162 



Norouas the North-west Wind 

at them if the direction in which they blow does not 
suit their purpose, shaking their fists at them in a most 
menacing manner the while. The following story, the 
only wind-tale it is possible to give here, well illustrates 
this personalization of the winds by the Breton folk. 
There was once a goodman and his wife who had a 
little field on which they grew flax. One season their 
patch yielded a particularly fine crop, and after it had 
been cut they laid it out to dry. But Norouas, the 
North-west Wind, came along and with one sweep of 
his mighty wings tossed it as high as the tree-tops, so 
that it fell into the sea and was lost. 
When the goodman saw what had happened he began 
to swear at the Wind, and, taking his stick, he set out 
to follow and slay Norouas, who had spoiled his flax. 
So hasty had he been in setting forth that he had 
taken no food or money with him, and when evening 
came he arrived at an inn hungry and penniless. He 
explained his plight to the hostess, who gave him a 
morsel of bread and permitted him to sleep in a corner 
of the stable. In the morning he asked the dame the 
way to the abode of Norouas, and she conducted him 
to the foot of a mountain, where she said the Winds 
dwelt. 

The goodman climbed the mountain, and at the top 
met with Surouas, the South-west Wind. 
" Are you he whom they call Norouas ? " he asked. 
" No, I am Surouas," said the South-west Wind. 
" Where then is that villain Norouas?" cried the good- 
man. 

"Hush!" said Surouas, "do not speak so loud, good- 
man, for if he hears you he will toss you into the air 
like a straw." 

163 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

At that moment Norouas arrived, whistling wildly and 
vigorously. 

" Ah, thief of a Norouas," cried the goodman, "it was 
you who stole my beautiful crop of flax ! " But the Wind 
took no notice of him. Nevertheless he did not cease 
to cry : " Norouas, Norouas, give me back my flax! " 
" Hush, hush ! " cried Norouas. " Here is a napkin that 
will perhaps make you keep quiet." 

" With my crop of flax," howled the goodman, " I could 
have made a hundred napkins such as this. Norouas, 
give me back my flax ! " 

" Be silent, fellow," said Norouas. " This is no common 
napkin which I give you. You have only to say, 
' Napkin, unfold thyself,' to have the best spread table 
in the world standing before you." 

The goodman took the napkin with a grumble, de- 
scended the mountain, and there, only half believing what 
Norouas had said, placed the napkin before him, saying, 
" Napkin, unfold thyself." Immediately a table appeared 
spread with a princely repast. The odour of cunningly 
cooked dishes arose, and rare wines sparkled in glitter- 
ing vessels. After he had feasted the table vanished, 
and the goodman folded up his napkin and went back 
to the inn where he had slept the night before. 
"Well, did you get any satisfaction out of Norouas?" 
asked the hostess. 

" Indeed I did," replied the goodman, producing the 
napkin. "Behold this: Napkin, unfold thyself!" and 
as he spoke the magic table appeared before their eyes. 
The hostess, struck dumb with astonishment, at once 
became covetous and resolved to have the napkin for 
herself. So that night she placed the goodman in a 
handsome apartment where there was a beautiful bed 
164 



Norouas the North-west Wind 



with a soft feather mattress, on which he slept more 
soundly than ever he had done in his life. When he 
was fast asleep the cunning hostess entered the room 
and stole the napkin, leaving one of similar appearance 
in its place. 

In the morning the goodman set his face homeward, 
and duly arrived at his little farm. His wife eagerly 
asked him if Norouas had made good the damage done 
to the flax, to which her husband replied affirmatively 
and drew the substituted napkin from his pocket. 
" Why," quoth the dame, "we could have made two 
hundred napkins like this out of the flax that was 
destroyed." 

"Ah, but," said the goodman, "this napkin is not the 
same as others. I have only to say, ' Napkin, unfold 
thyself,' and a table covered with a most splendid feast 
appears. Napkin, unfold thyself — unfold thyself, dost 
thou hear ? " 

"You are an old fool, goodman," said his wife when 
nothing happened. Her husband's jaw dropped and 
he seized his stick. 

" I have been sold by that rascal Norouas," he cried. 
"Well, I shall not spare him this time," and without 
more ado he rushed out of the house and took the road 
to the home of the Winds. 

He slept as before at the inn, and next morning climbed 
the mountain. He began at once to call loudly upon 
Norouas, who was whistling up aloft, demanding that 
he should return him his crop of flax. 
" Be quiet, down there ! " cried Norouas. 
" I shall not be quiet ! " screamed the goodman, brandish- 
ing his bludgeon. "You have made matters worse 
by cheating me with that napkin of yours ! " 

165 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

" Well, well, then," replied Norouas, "here is an ass ; 
you have only to say 'Ass, make me some gold,' and 
it will fall from his tail." 

The goodman, eager to test the value of the new gift, 
at once led the ass to the foot of the mountain and 
said : " Ass, make me some gold." The ass shook his 
tail, and a rouleau of gold pieces fell to the ground. 
The goodman hastened to the inn, where, as before, 
he displayed the phenomenon to the hostess, who that 
night went into the stable and exchanged for the 
magical animal another similar in appearance to it. On 
the evening of the following day the goodman returned 
home and acquainted his wife with his good luck, but 
when he charged the ass to make gold and nothing 
happened, she railed at him once more for a fool, and 
in a towering passion he again set out to slay Norouas. 
Arrived at the mountain for the third time, he called 
loudly on the North-west Wind, and when he came 
heaped insults and reproaches upon him. 
" Softly," replied Norouas ; " I am not to blame for your 
misfortune. You must know that it is the hostess at 
the inn where you slept who is the guilty party, for 
she stole your napkin and your ass. Take this cudgel. 
When you say to it, ' Strike, cudgel,' it will at once 
attack your enemies, and when you want it to stop you 
have only to cry, 1 Ora pro nobis' " 

The goodman, eager to test the efficacy of the cudgel, 
at once said to it, " Strike, cudgel," whereupon it com- 
menced to belabour him so soundly that he yelled, 
" Ora pro nobis!" when it ceased. 

Returning to the inn in a very stormy mood, he loudly 
demanded the return of his napkin and his ass, where- 
upon the hostess threatened to fetch the gendarmes. 
1 66 



The Foster-Brother 

" Strike, cudgel!" cried the goodman, and the stick 
immediately set about the hostess in such vigorous style 
that she cried to the goodman to call it off and she 
would at once return his ass and his napkin. 
When his property had been returned to him the 
goodman lost no time in making his way homeward, 
where he rejoiced his wife by the sight of the treasures 
he brought with him. He rapidly grew rich, and his 
neighbours, becoming suspicious at the sight of so 
much wealth, had him arrested and brought before a 
magistrate on a charge of wholesale murder and 
robbery. He was sentenced to death, and on the day 
of his execution he was about to mount the scaffold, 
when he begged as a last request that his old cudgel 
might be brought him. The boon was granted, and no 
sooner had the stick been given into his hands than he 
cried, " Strike, cudgel ! " 

And the cudgel did strike. It belaboured judge, 
gendarmes, and spectators in such a manner that they 
fled howling from the scene. It demolished the scaffold 
and cracked the hangman's crown. A great cry for 
mercy arose. The goodman was instantly pardoned, 
and was never further molested in the enjoyment of 
the treasures the North-west Wind had given him as 
compensation for his crop of flax. 

The Foster-Brother 

The weird tale which follows has many parallels in 
world folk-lore, but is localized at Treguier, an old 
cathedral town in the Cdtes-du-Nord at the junction 
of the Jaudy and the Guindy, famous for the beautiful 
windows of its celebrated church, founded by St Tugdual. 
Gwennolaik was the most noble and beautiful maiden in 

167 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

Treguier, but, alas ! she was almost friendless, for at an 
early age she had lost her father, her mother, and her 
two sisters, and her sole remaining relative was her 
stepmother. Pitiful it was to see her standing at the 
door of her manor, weeping as if her heart would break. 
But although she had none of her own blood to cherish 
she still nursed the hope that her foster-brother, who 
had journeyed abroad for some years, might one day 
return, and often would she stand gazing fixedly over 
the sea as if in search of the vessel that would bring him 
home. They had been playmates, and although six 
years had passed since he had left the country, the time 
had gone quickly, and when Gwennolaik thought of the 
young man it was as the boy who had shared the 
games and little amusements of her childhood. From 
these day-dreams she would be rudely awakened by the 
harsh voice of her stepmother calling to her: "Come 
here, my girl, and attend to the animals. I don't feed 
you for loafing and doing nothing." 

Poor Gwennolaik had a sad life with her stepmother. 
Noble as she was she was yet forced by the vindictive 
old woman to rise in the early hours of the morning, 
even two or three hours before daylight in winter, 
to light the fire and sweep the house and perform 
other menial work. One evening as she was breaking 
the ice in the well in order to draw water for the 
household she was interrupted by a cavalier returning 
to Nantes. 

"Good e'en to you, maiden. Are you affianced to 
anyone ? " 

The girl did not reply, but hung her head. 

"Come, don't be afraid," said the handsome horseman, 

" but answer my question." 

168 



The Foster-Brother 

She looked at him almost fearfully. "Saving your 
grace, I have never been affianced to anyone." 
"Good," replied the cavalier. "Take this gold ring 
and say to your stepmother that you are now affianced 
to a cavalier of Nantes who has been in a great battle 
and who has lost his squire in the combat ; and you 
may also add that he has been wounded in the side by 
a sword-stroke. In three weeks and three days, when 
my wound is healed, I will return and will take you to 
my manor with joy and festival." 

The maiden returned to the house and looked at the 
ring. It was the same as her foster-brother used to 
wear on his left hand ! 

Three weeks ran by, but the cavalier did not return. 
Then the stepmother said one morning : " It is time, 
daughter, that you should marry, and I may tell you 
that I have found you a husband after my own heart." 
"Saving your grace, good stepmother, I do not wish 
to marry anyone except my foster-brother, who has re- 
turned. He has given me a golden wedding-ring, and 
has promised to come for me within a few days." 
"A fig for your gold ring," cried the malignant hag. 
"Bon grJ y mal grd, you shall marry Job the Witless, 
the stable boy." 

" Marry Job! Oh, horror! I should die of grief! Alas, 
my mother, were you but here now to protect me ! " 
"If you must howl, pray do so in the courtyard. You 
may make as many grimaces as you please, but in 
three days you shall be married for all that." 

The old grave-digger slowly patrolled the road, his 
bell in his hand, carrying the news of those who had 
died from village to village. In his doleful whine he 

169 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

• cried : " Pray for the soul of a noble cavalier, a worthy 
gentleman of a good heart, who was mortally wounded 
in the side by the stroke of a sword in the battle near 
Nantes. He is to be buried to-day in the White 
Church." 

At the marriage feast the bride was all in tears. All 
the guests, young and old, wept with her, all except 
her stepmother. She was conducted to the place of 
honour at supper-time, but she only drank a sip of water 
and ate a morsel of bread. By and by the dancing 
commenced, but when it was proposed that the bride 
should join in the revels she was not to be found ; she 
had, indeed, escaped from the house, her hair flying in 
disorder, and where she had gone no one knew. 
All the lights were out at the manor, every one slept 
profoundly. The poor young woman alone lay con- 
cealed in the garden in the throes of a fever. She 
heard a footstep close by. " Who is there ? " she asked 
fearfully. 

" It is I, Nola, your foster-brother." 

"Ah, is it you? You are truly welcome, my dear 

brother," cried Gwennolaik, rising in rapture. 

" Come with me," he whispered, and swinging her on 

to the crupper of his white horse he plunged madly 

into the night. 

We fly fast," she cried. " We must have ridden a 
hundred leagues, I think. Ah, but I am happy with 
thee! I will never leave thee more." 
The owl hooted and night noises came to her ears. 
" Ah, but thy horse is swift," said she, "and thine 
armour, how brilliant it is ! How happy I am to have 
found thee, my foster-brother! But are we near thy 
manor ? " 



170 




GWENNOLAIK AND NOLA 



170 



The Foster-Brother 

"We shall arrive there in good time, my sister," he 
replied. 

" Thy heart is cold, thy hair is wet ! Ah, how chill are 
thy hands ! " 

" Listen, my sister ; do you not hear the noise of the 
gay musicians who shall play at our wedding?" He 
had not finished speaking when his horse threw itself 
back on its haunches all at once, trembling and whinnying 
loudly. 

Gwennolaik looked around, and found herself on an 
island where a crowd of people were dancing. Lads 
and lasses, they danced most bravely beneath the green 
trees heavy with apples, and the music to which they 
tripped was as that of heaven. 

Suddenly the sun rose above the eastern mountains 
and flooded this strange new world with rich light, and 
there Gwennolaik found her mother and her two sisters, 
and there was nothing in her heart but beauty and 
joy. 

On the following morning, as the sun rose, the young 
women carried the body of Gwennolaik and laid it 
in the tomb of her foster-brother in the White 
Church. 

In this ballad — for the original from which we take the 
tale is cast in ballad form — we are once more in touch 
with the Celtic Otherworld. It is a thousand pities 
that this interesting piece breaks off where it does, thus 
failing to provide us with a fuller account of that most 
elusive realm. The short glimpse we do get of it, 
however, reminds us very much of the descriptions of 
it we possess in Irish lore. We have also once more 
the phenomenon of the dead lover who comes to claim 
the living bride, the midnight gallop, and other circum- 

171 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

stances characteristic of ballad literature. There was 
a tradition in Lower Brittany, however, that no soul 
might be admitted to the other world which had not 
first received burial, but here, of course, we must look 
for Christian influence. 



172 



CHAPTER VII : POPULAR LEGENDS 
OF BRITTANY 



HE legend," says Gomme, in a passage most 



memorable for students of folk-lore as contain- 



A ing his acute and precise definition of the 
several classes of tradition, " belongs to an historical 
personage, locality, or event," 1 and it is in this general 
sense that the term is employed in regard to the 
contents of this chapter, unless where mythic or folk- 
lore matter is introduced for the sake of analogy or 
illustration. There is, however, a broad, popular read- 
ing of the term as indicating the fanciful-historical. 
When we read of the King of Ys, or Arthur, for example, 
we are not aware whether they ever existed or not, but 
they are alluded to by tradition as ancient rulers of 
Brittany and Britain, just as Cymbeline and Cole are 
spoken of as British monarchs of the distant past. 
They linger as personal figures in the folk-memory, but 
they scarcely seem as the personages of folk-tale. Let 
us say, then, for the purposes of our classification of 
Breton tradition, that we include in the term ' legend ' 
all tales of great personal figures who are historical or 
over whom folk-tale has cast an historical vraiseniblance, 
remembering at the same time that in the case of per- 
sonages whose existence is doubtful we may be dealing 
with a folk-tale disguised or even a distorted myth. 

The Dark Story of Gilles de Retz 
Of the dark and terrible legends to which Brittany has 
given birth, one of the most gloomy and romantic is the 
story of Gilles de Retz, alchemist, magician, and arch- 

1 Folk-lore as an Historical Science, p. 129. 




173 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

criminal. But the story is not altogether legendary, 
although it has undoubtedly been added to from the 
great stores of tradition. Gilles is none other than the 
Bluebeard of the nursery tale, for he appears to have 
actually worn a beard bluish-black in hue, and it is 
probable that his personality became mingled with that 
of the hero of the old Oriental story. 
Gilles de Laval, Lord of Retz and Marshal of France, 
was connected with some of the noblest families in 
Brittany, those of Montmorency, Rocey, and Craon, 
and at his father's death, about 1424, he found himself 
lord of many princely domains, and what, for those 
times, was almost unlimited power and wealth. He 
was a handsome youth, lithe and of fascinating address, 
courageous, and learned as any clerk. A splendid 
career lay before him, but from the first that distorted 
idea of the romantic which is typical of certain minds 
had seized upon him, and despite his rank and position 
he much preferred the dark courses which finally ended 
in his disgrace and ruin to the dignities of his seigneury. 
Gilles took his principal title from the barony of Retz 
or Rais, south of the Loire, on the marches of Brittany. 
As a youth he did nothing to justify an evil augury 
of his future, for he served with zeal and gallantry in 
the wars of Charles VI against the English and fought 
under Jeanne Dare at the siege of Orleans. In virtue 
of these services, and because of his shrewdness and 
skill in affairs, the King created him Marshal of France. 
But from that time onward the man who had been the 
able lieutenant of Jeanne Dare and had fought by her 
side at Jargeau and Patay began to deteriorate. Some 
years before he had married Catherine de Thouars, and 
with her had received a large dowry ; but he had 

174 



The Dark Story of Gillcs de Retz 

expended immense sums in the national cause, and his 
private life was as extravagant as that of a prince in a 
fairy tale. At his castle of Champtoce he dwelt in 
almost royal state ; indeed, his train when he went 
hawking or hunting exceeded in magnificence that of 
the King himself. His retainers were tricked out in the 
most gorgeous liveries, and his table was spread with 
ruinous abundance. Oxen, sheep, and pigs were roasted 
whole, and viands were provided daily for five hundred 
persons. He had an insane love of pomp and display, 
and his private devotions were ministered to by a 
large body of ecclesiastics. His chapel was a marvel 
of splendour, and was furnished with gold and 
silver plate in the most lavish manner. His love of 
colour and movement made him fond of theatrical 
displays, and it is even said that the play or mystery 
of Orleans, dealing with the story of Jeanne Dare, was 
written with his own hand. He was munificent in his 
patronage of the arts, and was himself a skilled illumin- 
ator and bookbinder. In short, he was obviously one 
of those persons of abnormal character in whom genius 
is allied to madness and who can attempt and execute 
nothing except in a spirit of the wildest excess. 
The reduction of his fortune merely served his peculiar 
and abnormal personality with a new excuse for ex- 
travagance. At this time the art of alchemy flourished 
exceedingly and the works of Nicolas Flamel, the 
Arabian Geber, and Pierre d'Estaing enjoyed a great 
vogue. On an evil day it occurred to Gilles to turn 
alchemist, and thus repair his broken fortunes. In the 
first quarter of the fifteenth century alchemy stood for 
scientific achievement, and many persons in our own 
enlightened age still study its maxims. A society 

175 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

exists to-day the object of which is to further the 
knowledge of alchemical science. A common misap- 
prehension is current to the effect that the object of the 
alchemists was the transmutation of the baser metals 
into gold, but in reality they were divided into two 
groups, those who sought eagerly the secret of manu- 
facturing the precious metals, and those who dreamed 
of a higher aim, the transmutation of the gross, terrestrial 
nature of man into the pure gold of the spirit. 
The latter of these aims was beyond the fevered imagina- 
tion of such a wild and disorderly mind as that of Gilles 
de Retz. He sent emissaries into Italy, Spain, and 
Germany to invite adepts in the science to his castle at 
Champtoce. From among these he selected two men 
to assist him in his plan — Prelati, an alchemist of Padua, 
and a certain physician of Poitou, whose name is not 
recorded. At their instigation he built a magnificent 
laboratory, and when it was completed commenced to 
experiment. A year passed, during which the necessities 
of the ' science ' gradually emptied many bags of gold, 
but none returned to the Marshal's coffers. The 
alchemists slept soft and fed sumptuously, and were 
quite content to pursue their labours so long as the 
Seigneur of Retz had occasion for their services. But 
as the time passed that august person became greatly 
impatient, and so irritable did he grow because of the 
lack of results that at length his assistants, in imminent 
fear of dismissal, communicated to him a dark and 
dreadful secret of their art, which, they assured him, 
would assist them at arriving speedily at the desired end. 
The nature of the experiment they proposed was so 
grotesque that its acceptance by Gilles proves that he 
was either insane or a victim of the superstition of his 
176 



The Dark Story of Gilles de Retz 

time. His wretched accomplices told him that the Evil 
One alone was capable of revealing the secret of the 
transmutation of the baser metals into gold, and they 
offered to summon him to their master's aid. They 
assured Gilles that Satan would require a recompense 
for his services, and the Marshal retorted that so long 
as he saved his soul intact he was quite willing to 
conclude any bargain that the Father of Evil might 
propose. 

It was arranged that the ceremony should take place 
within a gloomy wood in the neighbourhood. The 
nameless physician conducted the Lord of Retz to a 
small clearing in this plantation, where the magic circle 
was drawn and the usual conjurations made. For half 
an hour they waited in silence, and then a great 
trembling fell upon the physician. A deadly pallor 
overspread his countenance. His knees shook, he 
muttered wildly, and at last he sank to the ground. 
Gilles stood by unmoved. The insanity of egotism 
is of course productive of great if not lofty courage, 
and he feared neither man nor fiend. Suddenly the 
alchemist regained consciousness and told his master 
that the Devil had appeared to him in the shape of 
a leopard and had growled at him horribly. He 
ascribed Gilles' lack of supernatural vision to want of 
faith. He then declared that the Evil One had told 
him where certain herbs grew in Spain and Africa, the 
juices of which possessed the power to effect the trans- 
mutation, and these he obligingly offered to search for, 
provided the Lord of Retz furnished the means for his 
travels. This Gilles gladly did, and of course never 
beheld the Poitevin knave again. 

Days and months passed and the physician did not 

' M 177 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

return. Gilles grew uneasy. It was imperative that 
gold should be forthcoming immediately, for not only 
was he being pressed on every side, but he was unable 
to support his usual magnificence. In this dilemma he 
turned to Prelati, his remaining alchemical assistant. 
This man appears to have believed in his art or he 
would not have made the terrible suggestion he did, 
which was that the Lord of Retz should sign with his 
own blood a compact with the Devil, and should offer 
up a young child in sacrifice to him. To this proposal 
the unhappy Gilles consented. On the following night 
Prelati quitted the castle, and returned shortly afterward 
with the story that the fiend had appeared to him in the 
likeness of a young man who desired to be called Barron, 
and had pointed out to him the resting-place of a hoard 
of ingots of pure gold, buried under an oak in the 
neighbouring wood. Certain conditions, however, must 
be observed before the treasure was dug up, the chief 
of which was that it must not be searched for until a 
period of seven times seven weeks had elapsed, or it 
would turn into slates. With these conditions de Retz 
would not comply, and, alarmed at his annoyance, the 
obliging Prelati curtailed the time of waiting to seven 
times seven days. At the end of that period the 
alchemist and his dupe repaired to the wood to dig up 
the treasure. They worked hard for some time, and at 
length came upon a load of slates, inscribed with magical 
characters. Prelati pretended great wrath, and up- 
braided the Evil One for his deceit, in which denuncia- 
tion he was heartily joined by de Retz. But so 
credulous was the Seigneur that he allowed himself to 
be persuaded to afford Satan another trial, which meant, 
of course, that Prelati led him on from day to day with 

i 7 8 



THE DEVIL IN THE FORM OF A LEOPARD APPEARS ^BEFORE 
THE ALCHEMIST 



The Dark Story of Gilles de Retz 

specious promises and ambiguous hints, until he had 
drained him of nearly all his remaining substance. He 
was then preparing to decamp with his plunder when a 
dramatic incident detained him. 

For some time a rumour had been circulating in the 
country-side that numerous children were missing and 
that they had been spirited away. Popular clamour ran 
high, and suspicion was directed toward the castle of 
Champtoce. So circumstantial was the evidence against 
de Retz that at length the Duke of Brittany ordered 
both the Seigneur and his accomplice to be arrested. 
Their trial took place before a commission which de 
Retz denounced, declaring that he would rather be 
hanged like a dog, without trial, than plead before its 
members. But the evidence against him was over- 
whelming. It was told how the wretched madman, in 
his insane quest for gold, had sacrificed his innocent 
victims on the altar of Satan, and how he had gloated 
over their sufferings. Finally he confessed his enor- 
mities and told how nearly a hundred children had 
been cruelly murdered by him and his relentless ac- 
complice. Both he and Prelati were doomed to be 
burned alive, but in consideration of his rank he was 
strangled before being cast into the flames. Before 
the execution he expressed to Prelati a hope that they 
would meet in Paradise, and, it is said, met his end very 
devoutly. 

The castle of Champtoce still stands in its beautiful 
valley, and many romantic legends cluster about its 
grey old walls. " The hideous, half-burnt body of the 
monster himself," says Trollope, " circled with flames — 
pale, indeed, and faint in colour, but more lasting than 
those the hangman kindled around his mortal form in 

179 



Legends ®f Romances of Brittany 

the meadow under the walls of Nantes — is seen, on 
bright moonlight nights, standing now on one topmost 
point of craggy wall, and now on another, and is heard 
mingling his moan with the sough of the night-wind. 
Pale, bloodless forms, too, of youthful growth and mien, 
the restless, unsepulchred ghosts of the unfortunates 
who perished in these dungeons unassoiled . . . may at 
similar times be seen flitting backward and forward, in 
numerous groups, across the space enclosed by the ruined 
wall, with more than mortal speed, or glancing hurriedly 
from window to window of the fabric, as still seeking to 
escape from its hateful confinement." 1 

Comorre the Cursed 

As has been said, the story of Gilles de Retz is connected 
by tradition with that of Bluebeard, but it is probable that 
this traditional connexion arises simply from the associa- 
tion of two famous tales. The other legend in question 
is that of Comorre the Cursed, whose story is told in 
the frescoes which cover the wall of the church of St 
Nicolas de Bieuzy, dedicated to St Triphyne, in which 
the tale of Bluebeard is depicted as the story of the 
saint, who in history was the wife of Comorre. Comorre 
was a chief who ruled at Carhaix, in Finistere, and his 
tale, which owes its modern dress to Emile Souvestre, 
himself a Breton, and author of Derniers Bretons and 
the brilliant sketch Un Philosophe sous les Toits, The 
tale, translated, runs as follows : 

Guerech, Count ofVannes, 'the Country of White Corn,' 
had a daughter, Triphyna, whom he tenderly loved. 
One day ambassadors arrived from Comorre, a prince 
of Cornouaille, 'the Country of Black Corn,' demanding 
1 Western France^ vol. ii. 
1 80 



Comorre the Cursed 

her in marriage. Now this caused great distress, for 
Comorre was a giant, and one of the wickedest of men, 
held in awe by every one for his cruelty. As a boy, 
when he went out, his mother used to ring a bell to 
warn people of his approach ; and when unsuccessful 
in the chase he would set his dogs on the peasants to 
tear them to pieces. But most horrible of all, he had 
had four wives, who had all died one after the other, 
it was suspected either by the knife, fire, water, or 
poison. The Count of Vannes, therefore, dismissed 
the ambassadors, and advanced to meet Comorre, who 
was approaching with a powerful army ; but St Gildas 
went into Triphyna's oratory and begged her to save 
bloodshed and consent to the marriage. He gave her 
a silver ring, which would warn her of any intended evil 
by turning as black as a crow's wing at the approach of 
danger. 

The marriage took place with great rejoicings. The 
first day six thousand guests were invited ; on the next 
day as many poor were fed, the bride and the bridegroom 
themselves serving at the tables. For some time all 
went well. Comorre's nature seemed altered ; his 
prisons were empty, his gibbets untenanted. But 
Triphyna felt no confidence, and every day went to 
pray at the tombs of his four wives. At this time 
there was an assembly of the Breton princes at Rennes, 
which Comorre was obliged to attend. Before his 
departure he gave Triphyna his keys, desiring her 
to amuse herself in his absence. After five months 
he unexpectedly returned, and found her occupied 
trimming an infant's cap with gold lace. On seeing 
the cap Comorre turned pale ; and when Triphyna 
joyfully announced to him that soon he would be a 

181 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

father he drew back in a rage and rushed out of the 
apartment. Triphyna saw that her ring had turned 
black, which betokened danger, she knew not why. 
She descended into the chapel to pray. When she 
rose to depart the hour of midnight struck, and suddenly 
a sound of movement in the silent chapel chilled her at 
the heart ; shrinking into a recess, she saw the four 
tombs of Comorre's wives open slowly, and the women 
all issued forth in their winding-sheets. 
Faint with terror, Triphyna tried to escape ; but the 
spectres cried: "Take care, poor lost one! Comorre 
seeks to kill you." 

" Me," said the Countess. " What evil have I done ? " 

"You have told him that you will soon become a 

mother ; and, through the Spirit of Evil, he knows 

that his child will slay him. He murdered us when we 

told him what he has just learned from you." 

"What hope, then, of refuge remains for me?" cried 

Triphyna. 

"Go back to your father," answered the phantoms. 

" But how escape when Comorre's dog guards the court ? " 

" Give him this poison which killed me," said the first wife. 

" But how can I descend yon high wall?" 

" By means of this cord which strangled me," answered 

the second wife. 

" But who will guide me through the dark?" 

"The fire that burnt me," replied the third wife. 

"And how can I make so long a journey?" returned 

Triphyna. 

"Take this stick which broke my skull," rejoined the 
fourth spectre. 

Armed with the poison, the rope, and the stick, Triphyna 
set out, silenced the dog, scaled the wall, and, miracu- 
182 



Comorre the Cursed 

lously guided on her way through the darkness by a 
glowing light, proceeded on her road to Vannes. On 
awaking next morning Comorre found that his wife had 
fled, and pursued her on horseback. The poor fugitive, 
seeing her ring turn black, turned off the road and hid 
herself till night in the cabin of a shepherd, where there 
was only an old magpie in a cage at the door, and here 
her baby was born. Comorre, who had given up the 
pursuit, was returning home by that road, when he 
heard the magpie trying to imitate her complaints and 
calling out "Poor Triphyna ! " Guessing that his wife 
had passed that way, he set his dog on the track. 
Meanwhile Triphyna felt she could proceed no farther, 
and lay down on the ground with her baby boy. As 
she clasped the child in her arms she saw over her head 
a falcon with a golden collar, which she recognized as 
her father's. The bird came at her call, and giving it 
the warning ring of St Gildas she told it to fly with it 
to her father. The bird obeyed, and flew like lightning 
to Vannes ; but almost at the same instant Comorre 
arrived. Having parted with her warning ring, Triphyna, 
who had no notice of his approach, had only time to 
conceal her babe in the cavity of a tree when Comorre 
threw himself upon her, and with one blow from his 
sword severed her head from her body. 
When the falcon arrived at Vannes he found the Count 
at dinner with St Gildas. He let the ring fall into the 
silver cup of his master, who, recognizing it, exclaimed : 
" My daughter is in danger! Saddle the horses, and 
let Saint Gildas accompany us." Following the falcon, 
they soon reached the spot where Triphyna lay dead. 
After they had all knelt in prayer, St Gildas said to the 
corpse : " Arise, take thy head and thy child, and follow 

183 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

us." The dead body obeyed, the bewildered troop 
followed ; but, gallop as fast as they could, the headless 
body was always in front, carrying the babe in her left 
hand, and her pale head in the right. In this manner 
they reached the castle of Comorre. 
" Count," called St Gildas before the gates, " I bring 
back thy wife such as thy wickedness has made her, and 
thy child such as heaven has given it thee. Wilt thou 
receive them under thy roof? " 

Comorre was silent. The Saint three times repeated 
the question, but no voice returned an answer. Then 
St Gildas took the new-born infant from its mother and 
placed it on the ground. The child marched alone to 
the edge of the moat, picked up a handful of earth, and, 
throwing it against the castle, exclaimed: "Let the 
Trinity execute judgment." At the same instant the 
towers shook and fell with a crash, the walls yawned 
open, and the castle sunk, burying Comorre and all his 
partners in crime. St Gildas then replaced Triphynas 
head upon her shoulders, laid his hands upon her, and 
restored her to life, to the great joy of her father. Such 
is the history of Triphyna and Comorre. 

The Legend of Ys 

The legend of the submerged city of Ys, or Is, is perhaps 
the most romantic and imaginative effort of Breton 
popular legend. Who has not heard of the submerged 
bells of Ys, and who has not heard them ring in the 
echoes of his own imagination ? 

This picturesque legend 1 tells us that in the early days 

1 See Le Braz, La Legende de la Mort, t. i, p. 39, t. ii, pp. 37 ff. ; Albert 
Le Grand, Vies des Saints de la Bretagne, p. 63 ; Villemarque, Chants 

populaires, pp. 38 rT. 

184 



The Legend of Ys 

of the Christian epoch the city of Ys, or Ker-is, was 
ruled by a prince called Gradlon, surnamed Meur, 
which in Celtic means 'the Great.' Gradlon was a 
saintly and pious man, and acted as patron to Gwennole\ 
founder and first abbe of the first monastery built in 
Armorica. But, besides being a religious man, Gradlon 
was a prudent prince, and defended his capital of Ys 
from the invasions of the sea by constructing an 
immense basin to receive the overflow of the water at 
high tide. This basin had a secret gate, of which the 
King alone possessed the key, and which he opened and 
closed at the necessary times. 

Gradlon, as is so often the case with pious men, had a 
wayward child, the princess Dahut, who on one occasion 
while her father was sleeping gave a secret banquet to 
her lover, in which the pair, excited with wine, com- 
mitted folly after folly, until at last it occurred to the 
frivolous girl to open the sluice-gate. Stealing noise- 
lessly into her sleeping father's chamber she detached 
from his girdle the key he guarded so jealously and 
opened the gate. The water immediately rushed in 
and submerged the entire city. 

But, as usual, there is more than one version of this in- 
teresting legend. The city of Ys, says another account, 
was a place rich in commerce and the arts, but so given 
over to luxury as to arouse the ire of St Gwennole, who, 
in the manner of Jeremiah, foretold its ruin. It was 
situated where now a piece of water, the Etang de 
Laval, washes the desolate shores of the Bay of 
Trepasses — though another version of the tale has it 
that it stood in the vast basin which now forms the Bay 
of Douarnenez. A strong dike protected it from the 
ocean, the sluices only admitting sufficient water for the 

i8 5 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

needs of the town. Gradlon constantly bore round his 
neck a silver key which opened at the same time the 
vast sluices and the city gates. He lived in great state 
in a palace of marble, cedar, and gold, and his only grief 
was the conduct of his daughter Dahut, who, it is said, 
"had made a crown of her vices and taken for her 
pages the seven capital sins." But retribution was at 
hand, and the wicked city met with sudden destruction, 
for one night Dahut stole the silver key for the purpose 
of opening the city gates to admit her lover, and in the 
darkness by mistake opened the sluices. King Gradlon 
was awakened by St Gw£nnole\ who commanded him 
to flee, as the torrent was reaching the palace. He 
mounted his horse, and, taking his worthless daughter 
behind him, set off at a gallop, the incoming flood 
seething and boiling at his steed's fetlocks. The torrent 
was about to overtake and submerge him when a voice 
from behind called out : " Throw the demon thou carriest 
into the sea, if thou dost not desire to perish." Dahut 
at that moment fell from the horse's back into the water, 
and the torrent immediately stopped its course. Gradlon 
reached Quimper safe and sound, but nothing is said as 
to his subsequent career. 

An ancient ballad on the subject, which, however, bears 
marks of having been tampered with, states, on the 
other hand, that Gradlon led his people into extrava- 
gances of every kind, and that Dahut received the 
key from him, the misuse of which precipitated the 
catastrophe. Dahut, the ballad continues, became a 
mermaid and haunted the waters which roll over the 
site of the city where she loved and feasted. " Fisher- 
man," ends the ballad, "have you seen the daughter 
of the sea combing her golden hair in the midday sun 
186 



THE ESCAPE OF KING GRADLON FROM THE FLOODED 
CITY OF YS 



The Legend of Ys 

at the fringes of the beach?" "Yes," replies the 
fisherman, " I have seen the white daughter of the sea, 
and I have heard her sing, and her songs were plaintive 
as the sound of the waves." 

The legend of Ys, of the town swallowed up by the sea, 
is common to the several branches of the Celtic race. In 
Wales the site of the submerged city is in Cardigan Bay, 
and in Ireland it is Lough Neagh, as Tom Moore says : 

On Lough Neagh's bank as the fisherman strays, 

When the clear, cold eve's declining, 
He sees the round towers of other days 

In the wave beneath him shining. 

This legend had its rise in an extraordinary story which 
was given currency to by Giraldus Cambrensis in his 
Topography of Ireland, to the effect that a certain ex- 
tremely wicked tribe were punished for their sins by the 
inundation of their territory. 

"Now there was a common proverb," says Gerald, "in 
the mouths of the tribe, that whenever the well-spring 
of that country was left uncovered (for out of reverence 
shown to it, from a barbarous superstition, the spring 
was kept covered and sealed), it would immediately 
overflow and inundate the whole province, drowning 
and destroying the whole population. It happened, 
however, on some occasion that a young woman, who 
had come to the spring to draw water, after filling her 
pitcher, but before she had closed the well, ran in great 
haste to her little boy, whom she had heard crying at a 
spot not far from the spring where she had left him. But 
the voice of the people is the voice of God ; and on her 
way back she met such a flood of water from the spring 
that it swept off her and the boy, and the inundation 
was so violent that they both, and the whole tribe, with 

187 



Legends &? Romances of Brittany 

their cattle, were drowned in an hour in this partial 
and local deluge. The waters, having covered the 
whole surface of that fertile district, were converted 
into a permanent lake. A not improbable confirmation 
of this occurrence is found in the fact that the fishermen 
in that lake see distinctly under the water, in calm 
weather, ecclesiastical towers, which, according to the 
custom of the country, are slender and lofty, and more- 
over round ; and they frequently point them out to 
strangers travelling through these parts, who wonder 
what could have caused such a catastrophe." 
In the Welsh version of this fascinating legend it is 
the bard Gwyddno, of the twelfth century, who tells of 
the downfall of the submerged city, and two of the 
strophes which occur in his poem are also found in 
the Breton poem. The Welsh bard may have received 
the story from Breton sources, or the converse may be 
the case. 

The legend that Cardigan Bay contains a submerged 
territory is widely known, and strangely enough seems 
to be corroborated by the shape of the coast-line, the 
contour of which suggests the subsidence of a large 
body of land. Like their brothers of Ireland, the 
fishermen of Wales assert that at low tide they can 
see the ruins of ancient edifices far down beneath the 
clear waters of the bay. 1 

Before the days of the French Revolution there was 
still to be seen at Quimper, between the two towers of 
the cathedral, a figure of King Gradlon mounted on his 
faithful courser, but in the stormy year of 1793 the name 
of king was in bad odour and the ignorant populace 
deprived the statue of its head. However, in 1859 it 
1 See MacCulloch, Religion of the Ancient Ce/ts, p. 372 and notes. 
188 



The Clerk of Rohan 

was restored. Legend attributes the introduction of the 
vine into Brittany to King Gradlon, and on St Cecilia's 
Day a regular ritual was gone through in Quimper 
in connexion with his counterfeit presentment. A com- 
pany of singers mounted on a platform. While they 
sang a hymn in praise of King Gradlon, one of the 
choristers, provided with a flagon of wine, a napkin, 
and a golden hanap (or cup), mounted on the crupper 
of the King's horse, poured out a cup of wine, which 
he offered ceremoniously to the lips of the statue and 
then drank himself, carefully wiped with his napkin the 
moustache of the King, placed a branch of laurel in his 
hand, and then threw down the hanap in the midst of 
the crowd below, in honour of the first planter of the 
grape in Brittany. To whoever caught the cup before 
it fell, and presented it uninjured to the Chapter, was 
adjudged a prize of two hundred crowns. 
There is a distinct savour of myth about all this. Can 
it be that Gradlon was a Breton Bacchus ? There are 
notices of Celtic goddesses in whose honour Bacchic 
rites were held, and the place of these was sometimes 
taken by a corn god. Later the festival in its memorial 
aspect appears to have been associated with different 
kings 1 in the various parts of the Celtic world, and it 
seems likely that Gradlon was such a monarch who had 
taken the place of a vanished deity. It must be left to 
Celtic scholars to determine whether the name Gradlon 
possesses any deific significance hidden in its etymology. 

The Clerk of Rohan 

Jeanne de Rohan, daughter of Alain, fifth of the name, 
Viscount of Rohan, married in the year 1236 Matthew, 
1 MacCulloch, op. cit., p. 274. 

189 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

Seigneur of Beauvau, son of Rene, Constable of Naples. 
Breton popular poetry has in many ballads recounted 
the adventures of Jeanne and her husband, one of which 
is as follows 1 : 

At the age of thirteen Jeanne consented to be married, 
but she desired that she herself should be allowed to 
choose her husband. Accordingly the cavaliers and 
barons of the district were invited to pay their court to 
her, and she fixed her affections upon the Seigneur of 
Beauvau, a valiant noble with large possessions in Italy. 
He was loyal and courteous, and when the pair were 
wedded their happiness seemed perfect. 
At this period the war in Palestine against the infidels 
was agitating the whole of Europe. The Seigneur of 
Beauvau desired to join the Crusaders, but his wife was 
by no means anxious that he should leave his home. 
But his principle was noblesse oblige. <4 I am of the 
most noble blood," he said ; " therefore it behoves me 
to be the first to lead the way." 

He confided the care of his estates and his affairs in 
general to his wife's cousin, who was known as the 
Clerk of Rohan, and begged him to look well after 
Jeanne and his little son. Then, having bid farewell 
to them all, he mounted his horse and rode away to 
the wars. 

Jeanne was inconsolable. For days she wandered 
about the chateau carrying her baby boy in her arms 
and sobbing. All the domestic circle seemed disturbed 
at the Seigneur's departure except the Clerk of Rohan, 

1 Villemarque avouches that this version was taken down by his 
mother from the lips of an old peasant woman of the parish of Nevez. 
It bears the stamp of ballad poetry, and as it has parallels in the folk- 
verse of other countries I see no reason to question its genuineness. 

190 



The Clerk of Rohan 



to whom Count Matthew had so trustingly confided the 
charge of his affairs. 

The Seigneur had declared that he would return within 
a year's time. A year passed, however, and no news of 
him had been received. Now the Clerk was a per- 
fidious and wicked schemer, and one morning as he and 
Jeanne were in conversation he hinted that the year 
within which the Seigneur had promised to return was 
now gone by and that the war in which he had been 
engaged had come to an end. He made no secret 
of his passion for the lady, but she on her part 
turned upon him angrily, saying : " Is it the fashion 
nowadays for women to consider themselves widows, 
knowing well that their husbands are alive ? Go to, 
miserable Clerk, thy heart is full of wickedness. If 
my husband were here he would break thee in little 
pieces ! " 

When the Clerk heard this he went secretly to the 
kennels, and there he slew the Seigneur's favourite 
greyhound. Taking some of its blood, he wrote with 
it a letter to Count Matthew telling him that his wife 
was most unhappy because of an accident which had 
occurred ; that she had been hunting the deer, and that 
in the chase his favourite greyhound had died from 
over-exertion. The Seigneur duly received the letter, 
and in his reply told the Clerk to comfort the lady, as he 
was quite able to replace the hound. At the same time 
he desired that hunting should cease for the present, 
as the huntsmen seemed unskilful in their conduct of 
the chase. 

The wicked Clerk once more sought the lady. 

"Alas!" said he, " you are losing your beauty by weeping 

night and day." 

191 



Legends &f Romances of Brittany 

" I will know how to recover my beauty when my 

husband returns," she replied coldly. 

"Do not cheat yourself," he said. "Surely you can 

see by this time that he is either dead or has taken 

another wife. In the East there are many beautiful 

girls who are far wealthier than you." 

" If he has taken another wife," said the lady, " I shall 

die ; and if he be dead I ask for naught but death. 

Leave me, miserable wretch. Thy tongue is poisoned 

with deceit." 

When the Clerk had sufficiently recovered from this 
second rebuff, he betook himself to the stables, where 
the Seigneur's horse, the most beautiful in the country, 
stood champing in its stall. The wretch, drawing his 
poignard, thrust it into the noble steed's entrails, and, 
as he had done in the case of the greyhound, took 
some of the blood and wrote once more to the Count. 
"Another accident has occurred at the chateau," he 
said, " but, my dear Seigneur, pray do not trouble 
yourself on account of it. When your wife was return- 
ing from a feast in the night your favourite horse fell 
and broke two of his legs, and had to be destroyed." 
The Seigneur replied that he was grieved to hear of 
the circumstance, and that in order to avoid further 
mischances of the sort it would be better that his wife 
should frequent no more feasts. 

A third time the perfidious Clerk sought the lady. 
On this occasion he threatened her with death if she 
would not be his, but she replied in the most spirited 
manner that she loved death a thousand times better 
than him. At these words he could not contain his 
rage, and, drawing his dagger, thrust fiercely at her 
head. But the lady's guardian angel turned the stroke 
192 



The Clerk of Rohan 



and the weapon struck harmlessly against the wall. 
She fled from the room, closing the door behind her 
as she went ; whereupon the Clerk rushed downstairs 
to the nursery where her child was quietly sleeping in 
its cradle, and, seeing no one beside it, stabbed the 
slumbering infant to the heart. 

Then he wrote to the Seigneur : " Hasten your return, 
I beg of you, for it is necessary that you should be here 
to establish order. Your dog and your white courser 
have perished, but that is not the worst. Your little son, 
alas ! is also dead. The great sow devoured him 
when your wife was at a ball with the miller for a 
gallant." 

When the Seigneur received this letter he returned at 
once from the wars, his anger rising higher and higher 
with every homeward league. When he arrived at the 
chateau he struck three times upon the door with his 
hand, and his summons was answered by the Clerk. 
" How now, evil Clerk," shouted the infuriated Count, 
"did I not leave my wife in your care ? " and with these 
words he thrust his lance into the Clerk's open mouth, 
so that the point stood out at the nape of his neck. 
Then, mounting the stairs, he entered his wife's 
chamber, and without speaking a word stabbed her with 
his sword. 

The ballad then goes on to speak of the burial of 
the victims of the wicked Clerk. The lady, dressed 
all in white, was laid in her tomb by the light of the 
moon and the stars. On her breast lay her little son, 
on her right the favourite greyhound, and on her left 
the white courser, and it is said that in her grave she 
first caresses one and then the other, and the infant, as 
if jealous, nestles closer to his mother's heart. 

n 193 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 



The Lady of La Gar aye 

The chateau of La Garaye, near Dinan, is rendered 
famous by the virtues and boundless charity of its Count, 
Claude Toussaint Marot de La Garaye, and his wife. 
Their interesting story is told in the charming poem of 
Mrs Norton, The Lady of La Garaye : 

Listen to the tale I tell, 
Grave the story is — not sad ; 
And the peasant plodding by 
Greets the place with kindly eye, 
For the inmates that it had. 

Count Claude de La Garaye and his wife were young, 
beautiful, and endowed with friends, riches, and all that 
could make life bright and happy. They entertained 
generously and enjoyed the pleasures and amusements 
of the world. But one day misfortune overtook them, 
for the Countess was thrown from her horse, and she 
was left a cripple for life, while all expectations of an 
heir vanished. Both were inconsolable at their dis- 
appointment. One day a monk came to visit them, and 
tried to comfort them, seeking by his conversation to 
turn their thoughts from earthly afflictions to heavenly 
consolation. 

"Ah, my father," said the lady, "how happy are you, 
to love nothing on earth ! " 

"You are mistaken," answered the monk; "I love all 
those who are in sorrow or suffering. But I submit 
myself to the will of the Almighty, and bend myself 
with resignation to every blow He strikes." 
He proceeded to show them that there was still a great 
deal of happiness in store for them in ministering to the 
needs of others. Following his counsel, they went to 
194 



The Lady of La Garaye 

Paris, where for three years the Count studied medicine 
and surgery, and his wife became a skilful oculist. On 
their return to La Garaye they gave up all the amuse- 
ments of society and devoted themselves to relieving 
the sufferings of their fellow-creatures. Their house 
was converted into a hospital for the sick and afflicted, 
under the ministering care of the Count and his bene- 
volent wife : 

Her home is made their home ; her wealth their dole ; 

Her busy courtyard hears no more the roll 

Of gilded vehicles, or pawing steeds, 

But feeble steps of those whose bitter needs 

Are their sole passport. Through that gateway press 

All varying forms of sickness and distress, 

And many a poor, worn face that hath not smiled 

For years, and many a feeble crippled child, 

Blesses the tall white portal where they stand, 

And the dear Lady of the liberal hand. 

Nor was their philanthropy confined to their own 
province. In 1729 they offered themselves to M. de 
Belsunce — " Marseilles' good bishop" — to assist him 
during the visitation of the plague. The fame of their 
virtues reached even the French Court, and Louis XV 
sent Count de La Garaye the Order of St Lazarus, with 
a donation of 50,000 livres and a promise of 25,000 more. 
They both died at an advanced age, within two years 
of each other, and were buried among their poor at 
Taden. Their marble mausoleum in the church was 
destroyed during the French Revolution. The Count 
left a large sum to be distributed among the prisoners, 
principally English, pent up in the crowded gaols of 
Rennes and Dinan. He had attended the English 
prisoners at Dinan during a contagious fever called the 

l 95 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

' peste blanche,' and in acknowledgment of his humanity 
Queen Caroline sent him two dogs with silver collars 
round their necks, and an English nobleman made him j 
a present of six more. 

The ruined chateau is approached by an ivy-covered I 
gateway, through an avenue of beeches. As Mrs 
Norton renders it : 

And like a mourner's mantle, with sad grace, 
Waves the dark ivy, hiding half the door 
And threshold, where the weary traveller's foot 
Shall never find a courteous welcome more. 

The ruin is fast falling to pieces. The principal part ; 
remaining is an octagonal turret of three stories, with 
elegant Renaissance decoration round the windows. 

The Falcon 

An interesting and picturesque ballad sung in the Black 
Mountains is that of The Falcon. Geoffrey, first Duke 
of Brittany, was departing for Rome in the year 1008, 
leaving the government of the country in the hands of 
his wife Ethwije, sister of Richard of Normandy. As 
he was about to set out on his pilgrimage the falcon I 
which he carried on his wrist after the manner of the | 
nobles of the period, swooped down on and killed the 
hen of a poor peasant woman. The woman in a rage ! 
seized a large stone and cast it at the bird with such 
violence that it slew not only the falcon but the Duke 
himself. The death of the Duke was followed by a 
most desperate insurrection among the people. History 
does not enlighten us as to the cause of this rising, but 
tradition attributes it to the invasion of Brittany by the 
Normans (whom the widow of Geoffrey at once brought 
into the country on the demise of her husband) and the 
196 



A PEASANT INSURRECTION 



The Falcon 



exactions which were wrung from the peasants by these 
haughty aliens. 

The ballad, which was used as a war-song by the 
Bretons at a later day, begins in true ballad style : 
" The falcon has strangled the fowl, the peasant woman 
has slain the Count who oppressed the people, the poor 
people, like a brute-beast." 

The hate of the stranger so characteristic of the old 
Bretons then flashes forth. "The country has been 
polluted by the foreigner, by the men of the Gallic 
land, and because of the death of a hen and a falcon 
Brittany is on fire, blood flows, and there is great dole 
among the people." 

On the summit of the Black Mountain thirty stout 
peasants had gathered to celebrate the ancient feast 
of the good St John. Among them was Kado the 
Striver, who stood there gravely leaning on his iron 
pitchfork. For a while he looked upon his comrades ; 
then he opened his lips : 

"What say you, fellow-peasants? Do you intend to 
pay this tax ? As for me, I shall certainly not pay it. 
I had much rather be hanged. Nevermore shall I pay 
this unjust tax. My sons go naked because of it, my 
flocks grow less and less. No more shall I pay. I 
swear it by the red brands of this fire, by Saint Kado 
my patron, and by Saint John." 

" My fortunes are broken, I am completely ruined," 
growled one of his companions. " Before the year is 
out I shall be compelled to beg my bread." 
Then all rose at once as if by a common impulse. 
"None of us will pay this tax! We swear it by the 
Sun and by the Moon, and by the great sea which 
encircles this land of Brittany ! " 

197 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

Kado, stepping out from the circle, seized a firebrand, 
and holding it aloft cried : " Let us march, comrades, 
and strike a blow for freedom ! " 

The enthusiasm of his companions burst out afresh. 
Falling into loose ranks they followed him. His 
wife marched by his side in the first rank, carrying 
a reaping-hook on her shoulder and singing as she 
marched. 

"Quickly, quickly, my children! We go to strike a 
blow for liberty ! Have I brought thirty sons into the 
world to beg their bread, to carry firewood or to break 
stones, or bear burdens like beasts ? Are they to 
till the green land and the grey land with bare feet 
while the rich feed their horses, their hunting-dogs, 
and their falcons better than they are fed? No! It 
is to slay the oppressors that I have borne so many 
sons ! " 

Quickly they descended the mountains, gathering 
numbers as they went. Now they were three thousand 
strong, five thousand strong, and when they arrived at 
Langoad nine thousand strong. When they came to 
Gue>ande they were thirty thousand strong. The 
houses of those who had ground them down were 
wrapped in flames, fiercely ends the old ballad, "and 
the bones of those who had oppressed them cracked, 
like those of the damned in Tartarus." 
History tells us nothing concerning Kado the Striver, 
but it is most unlikely that he is a mere figment of 
popular imagination. What history does record, 
however, is that the wicked Duchess and her host 
of mercenary Normans were forced to flee, and that 
her place was taken by a more just and righteous 
ruler. 
198 



The Marquis of Gudrande 



The Marquis of GuSrande 

Breton tradition speaks of a wild young nobleman, 
Louis-Francois de Guerande, Seigneur of Locmaria, 
who flourished in the early part of the seventeenth 
century. He was wealthy, and lived a life of reckless 
abandon ; indeed, he was the terror of the parish and 
the despair of his pious mother, who, whenever he 
sallied forth upon adventure bent, rang the bell of the 
chateau, to give the alarm to the surrounding peasantry. 
The ballad which tells of the infamous deeds of this titled 
ruffian, and which was composed by one Tugdual Salaun, 
a peasant of Plouber, 1 opens upon a scene of touching 
domestic happiness. The Clerk of Garlon was on a 
visit to the family of his betrothed. 

" Tell me, good mother," he asked, "where is Annaik ? 
I am anxious that she should come with me to dance on 
the green." 

" She is upstairs asleep, my son. Take care," added 
the old woman roguishly, "that you do not waken 
her." 

The Clerk of Garlon ran lightly up the staircase and 
knocked at Annaik's door. 

"Come, Annaik," he cried ; "why are you asleep when 
all the others go to dance upon the village green ? " 
" I do not wish to go to the dance, for I fear the 
Marquis of Guerande," replied the girl. 
The Clerk of Garlon laughed. "The Marquis of 
Guerande cannot harm you so long as I am with you," 
he said lightly. " Come, Annaik ; were there a hundred 
such as he I should protect you from them." 

1 See " Maro Markiz Gwerrand," in the Bulletin de la Societe Academique 
de Brest, 1865. 

199 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

Reassured by her lover s brave words, the girl rose and 
put on her dress of white delaine. They were a joyous 
and beautiful pair. The Clerk was gaily dressed, with 
a peacock's feather in his hat and a chain on his breast, 
while his betrothed wore a velvet corsage embroidered 
with silver. 

On that evening the Marquis of Guerande leaped on 
his great red steed and sallied forth from his chateau. 
Galloping along the road, he overtook the Clerk of 
Garlon and his betrothed on their way to the dance. 
"Ha!" he cried, " you go to the dance, I see. It is 
customary to wrestle there, is it not ? " 
" It is, Seigneur," replied the Clerk, doffing his hat. 
"Then throw off your doublet and let us try a fall or 
two," said Guerande, with a wicked look at Annaik 
which was not lost upon her lover. 

" Saving your grace, I may not wrestle with you," said 
the Clerk, "for you are a gentleman and I am nobody. 
You are the son of a lord and I am the son of a 
peasant." 

" Ha! what! The son of a peasant, say you, and you 
take your choice of the pretty girls of the village ? " 
"Seigneur, pardon me. I did not choose this maiden; 
God gave her to me." 

During this parley Annaik stood by, trembling violently. 
She had heard of the Marquis of Guerande, and was 
only too well aware of the evil and reckless character 
he bore. The Clerk tried to calm her fears by whispered 
words and pressures of the hand, but the wicked Marquis, 
observing the state of terror she was in, exulted in the 
alarm he was causing her. 

"Well, fellow," said he, " since you cannot wrestle with 

me perhaps you will try a bout of sword-play." 

200 



The Marquis of Gu^rande 

At these words Annaik's rosy cheeks became deathly 
white ; but the Clerk of Garlon spoke up like a man. 
"My lord," he said, "I do not wear a sword. The 
club is my only weapon. Should you use your sword 
against me it would but stain it." 

The wicked Marquis uttered a fiendish laugh. " If I 
stain my sword, by the Saints, I shall wash it in your 
blood," he cried, and as he spoke he passed his rapier 
through the defenceless Clerk's body. 
At the sight of her slain lover the gentle heart of Annaik 
broke, and a great madness came upon her. Like a 
tigress she leapt upon the Marquis and tore his sword 
from his hand. Without his rapier he was as a child 
in the grasp of the powerful Breton peasant woman. 
Exerting all her strength, in a frenzy of grief she 
dragged the wretch to the green where the dance was 
in progress, haling him round and round it until 
exhausted. At last she dropped his senseless body on 
the green turf and hastened homeward. 
And once again we encounter the haunting refrain : 
' i My good mother, if you love me make my bed, for I 
am sick unto death." 

" Why, daughter, you have danced too much ; it is that 
which has made you sick." 

"I have not' danced at all, mother; but the wicked 
Marquis has slain my poor Clerk. Say to the sexton 
who buries him : ' Do not throw in much earth, for in 
a little while you will have to place my daughter beside 
him in this grave.' Since we may not share the same 
marriage-bed we shall at least sleep in the same tomb, 
and if we have not been married in this world we shall 
at least be joined in heaven." 

The reader will be relieved to learn that the hero of 



201 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

this ballad, the Clerk of Garlon, was not killed after all, 
and that for once fact is enabled to step in to correct 
the sadness of fiction ; for, when one comes to think of 
it, there are few sadder things in the world than the 
genuine folk-ballad, which, although at the time it may 
arouse aesthetic emotions, may yet afterward give 
rise to haunting pain. We are glad to be able to 
chronicle, then, that the worthy Clerk did not die of 
his wound as stated by Tugdual Salaiin of the parish 
of Plouber, author of the ballad, and that the wicked 
Marquis escaped the halter, which, according to Breton 
custom, he would not otherwise have done had the Clerk 
died. His good mother took upon herself the burden 
of an annual pension to the Clerk's aged parents, and 
adopted the second child of Annaik, who had duly married 
her sweetheart, and this little one she educated, furthering 
its interests in every possible manner. As for the 
Marquis, he actually settled down, and one cannot help 
feeling chagrined that such a promising rogue should 
have turned talents so eminently suitable for the manu- 
facture of legendary material into more humdrum courses. 
Conscious of the gravity of his early misdemeanours, he 
founded a hospital for the poor of the parish, and each 
evening in one of the windows of this place the peasants 
could see a light which burned steadily far into the 
night. If any asked the reason for this illumination he 
was told : '* It is the Marquis of Guerande, who lies 
awake praying God to pardon his youth." 

The Chateaux of Brittany 

The chateaux of Brittany may truly be called the 
historical and legendary shrines of the province, for 
within their halls, keeps, and donjons Breton tradition 

202 



La Roche-Jagu 

and history were made. It is doubtful, indeed, if the 
castellated mansions of any other country, save, perhaps, 
those of the Rhine, harbour so many legends, arising 
either from the actual historical happenings connected 
with them or from those more picturesque yet terrible 
associations which they are popularly supposed to have 
with the powers of evil. The general appearance of 
such a building as the Breton chateau admirably lends 
itself to sombre tradition. The massy walls seem thick 
enough to retain all secrets, and the cry for vengeance 
for blood spilt within them cannot pass to the outer 
world through the narrow meurtrieres or arrow-slits of 
the avant-corps. The broad yet lofty towers which flank 
the front rise into a toiture or coiffe like an enchanter's 
conical cap. The lucarnes, or attic casements, are 
guarded on either side by gargoyles grim of aspect, or 
perhaps by griffins holding the shield-borne arms of dead 
and gone seigneurs. Seek where you will, among the 
wizard-houses of old Prague, the witch-dens of ancient 
Edinburgh, the bat-haunted castles of Drachenfels or 
Rheinstein, you will come at nothing built of man more 
informed with the soul of the Middle Ages, more 
drenched with their peculiar savour of mystery, than 
these stark keeps whose crests and girouettes rise 
above encircling woods or frown upon mirroring rivers 
over the length and breadth of the Breton land. 

La Roche-Jagu 

One of the most typical of the chateaux of Brittany is 
that of La Roche-Jagu, at one time the guardian of the 
mouth of the river Trieux. It is built on the top of a 
hill which overhangs the Trieux, and from one of its 
battlemented galleries a splendid view of the windings 

203 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

of the river can be obtained. The wall on this side of 
the fortress is so thick as to allow of a chapel being 
hewn out of its solidity. A most distinctive architectural 
note is struck by the fourteen wonderful chimney-shafts 
of cut stone ornamented with iron spikes. 

Tonqukdec 

Some miles farther down the river, but on its opposite 
side, is the imposing castle of Tonqu£dec, perhaps the 
finest remnant of the medieval military architecture of 
Brittany. It has always remained in the family of the 
Viscounts of Coetman, who ranked among the foremost 
of the Breton nobility, though one of them espoused the 
cause of the Constable Clisson against Duke John IV, 
and had the anguish of seeing his ancestral fortress 
razed to the ground. Under Henry IV, however, the 
castle was restored, only to be again demolished by 
order of Cardinal Richelieu, who strongly and forcibly 
disapproved of such powerful fortalices. 
It had an outer enclosure, and had to be entered by 
a drawbridge, and it was strengthened in every way 
conceivable to the military art of the times. It was 
surrounded by dwellings for the convenience of the 
seigneurs retainers, a fine salle d'armes still remaining. 
To the keep, four stories high, a flying bridge led, in 
order to facilitate the withdrawal of the garrison in case 
of siege. Behind walls ten feet thick, so long as food 
and ammunition lasted, the inmates could hold the 
enemy in scorn. 

Clisson 

The chateau of Clisson, once the property of the great 
Constable Oliver de Clisson, whom the Viscount of 

204 



Josselin 

Coetman and the Bretons of Penthievre had championed, 
is now only a grand old ruin, a touching monument 
of the architectural splendours of former days. By 
moonlight it makes a scene not easily forgotten, gaunt 
and still and ruggedly imposing, the silent reminder of 
events and people tales of whom will not readily die, 
the treasurer of secrets it will probably never yield. 
Its antithesis is the castle of Nantes, with the stamp 
of the Renaissance upon its delicately sculptured 
balconies and window-frames. It is now an arsenal, 
a fact which robs it of some of the romantic interest 
of Clisson, or, indeed, of ruins in general, yet within its 
walls are the prison chambers in which Gilles de Laval, 
the ambitious Finance Minister Fouquet, the Cardinal 
de Retz, and the Duchess of Berry once languished. 
For many years it served as one of the political prisons 
of France, though it is also associated with brighter 
and happier times ; for here, on pleasure bent, lingered 
many of the Kings of France from Louis XI onward, 
and here in 1675 Madame de Sevigne sojourned, a cir- 
cumstance which casts about it a literary as well as a 
romantic glamour. The great well in the courtyard, 
with its ornamental railing of wrought iron, is quite 
equal to the famous well of Quentin Matsys at Antwerp. 

Josselin 

The castle of Josselin, also associated with the history 
of the great Constable Clisson and his allies, as well 
as with the notorious League whose followers wrought 
such intolerable misery in Brittany, is built on a rocky 
foundation near the river Oust. With its imposing 
front and conically roofed towers it is one of the best 
examples of a twelfth-century fortress-chateau. Very 

205 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

different in tone is the architecture of the interior court, 
being that of the period when the lighter traceries and 
more imaginative lines of the Renaissance were in 
favour. The window-openings of the two first stories 
are beautiful enough to rival those of Chambord and 
equal those of Blois. Above the windows an open 
gallery runs, and in the space between each the device 
of the Rohans is carved, with their motto, A Plus, this 
celebrated family having built this part of the chateau. 
About the year 1400 Clisson added a keep, walls, and 
parapets, but in 1629, when the fortress was no longer 
a stronghold of the League, these were permitted to 
fall into ruin. Through the courtesy of the family 
now in residence this wonderfully preserved castle 
may be visited, a circumstance for which the tourist in 
Brittany should indeed be grateful. Interest within 
these massy walls clings around the well, with its 
ornamental railings, the noble and lofty hall, the library, 
with its magnificent chimney-piece, repeating again, in 
stone, the Rohan motto, A Plus, and the equestrian 
statue of Clisson, by Fr6miet, in the dining-room. 

Hennebont and Largoet 

Of the old chateau of Hennebont, where John of Mont- 
fort breathed his last after escaping from the Louvre 
of his day, only a heap of stones remains. The old 
fortress of Largoet is in much the same condition, 
nothing of the ancient structure having been conserved 
save the famous Tour d'Elven, considered to be the most 
beautiful castle keep in all Brittany, which has also 
a literary distinction as being the scene of some of 
the most touching episodes in Octave Feuillet s Roman 
d'un jeune Homme pauvre. 
206 



Chateaubriant 



Chateaubriant 

At Chateaubriant, which owes its name to the com- 
pounding of the word ' chateau ' with that of ' Briant,' the 
family style of its original lord, the old feudal fortress 
is now a ruin, but the castle, built by Jean de Laval, 
Governor of Brittany under Francis I, is in good repair. 
An inscription giving the date of the completion of 
the new chateau as 1538 is above the portal of the 
colonnade. There is a gruesome legend associ- 
ated with the old chateau, in which for some time 
dwelt the unfortunate Franchise de Foix, Countess of 
Chateaubriant and beloved of Francis I. Tiring or 
becoming suspicious of her royal lover, she decided to 
return to her husband, the old Count of Laval. The 
reunion, however, was not productive of happiness, 
owing to the fever of jealousy in which her elderly 
husband lived because of the love affair with the King. 
This jealousy eventually flared into mania when he 
heard that she had actually visited her former lover 
in prison after he had been captured at Pavia. In- 
stantly he "shut his young wife up in a darkened and 
padded cell, and finally had her cut into pieces by 
two surgeons," so the story goes. Terrified at what 
he had done and of the consequences which were sure 
to follow when the King heard of his savagery, the 
Count fled the country immediately afterward. 
The chateau of Brodineuf (dating from the twelfth 
century) and that of Caradeuc are in good repair, 
but the latter is ancient only in parts. It shelters two 
Murillos within its walls. The picturesque chateau of 
Combourg was in early times a feudal fortress, and in it 
Rene Chateaubriand's infancy was passed. This place 

207 



Legends &? Romances of Brittany 

may be visited by interested sightseers, and there they 
may view the writing-table of the author of Le Genie 
du Christianisnie, and, in the bedroom he occupied at 
Combourg, the bed on which he died in Paris. The 
chateau of Vitre is also in a state of preservation, and 
is considered one of the best specimens of military 
architecture in the province. Comparatively near is the 
chateau of Rochers, once the home of Mme de Sevigne, 
and in consequence one of the famous sights of the 
country. The many letters she dated from this castle 
paint a vivid and detailed picture of social life in the 
seventeenth century, and fortunately the atmosphere 
of the time has been happily retained in the building 
itself. 

Another twelfth-century structure is that of the chateau 
of Rustefan, near Quimperle. It was built by Stephen, 
Count of Penthievre, and belonged in the next cen- 
tury to Blanche of Castile, the mother of St Louis. 
The ruins now in existence are those of the chateau 
built in the fifteenth century, and its cylindrical tower, 
pinnacled doorway, and the stone mullions of the 
windows still remain fairly intact. The chateau of 
Kerjolet, in Concarneau, is one which has been saved 
from decay, restored as it was by Countess Chaveau- 
Narishkine and presented by her to the department. It 
contains a museum in which are specimens of all the 
costumes and coiffes of Lower Brittany, and antiquities 
of prehistoric and medieval times, which all students of 
Breton and Celtic lore should see. 

Palaces of the Past 

The chateau of Tourlaville is situated among very 
beautiful surroundings, and is built in the classic style 
208 



Palaces of the Past 



of the Renaissance, with an angular tower. On 
chimney-piece and fireplace throughout the castle there 
are numerous sentimental devices in which Cupids and 
flaming hearts and torches figure largely, with the 
occasional accompaniment of verses and mottoes of 
an equally amatory nature. These are all seventeenth- 
century examples and may be taken as expressions of the 
time. In a boudoir called the Blue Chamber, because 
of the colour of its draperies and decorations, many 
coats-of-arms are emblazoned ; but all the greatness to 
which these testify has become a thing of the past, for 
the chateau has now been turned into a farmhouse. 
The chateau of Dinan may also be classed among the 
palaces of the past, for now, despite the fact that it 
was built by the Dukes of Brittany, it has become a 
prison. From the tourist as well as the romantic point 
of view this is somewhat of a tragedy. The Tower 
of Coetquen, one of the ancient towers of the city 
wall, is practically part of the castle, and the keep, 
or Queen Anne's Tower, is the most distinctive feature 
remaining. This keep is of four stories, and is over a 
hundred feet high, the last story being reached by a 
spiral staircase. What was once the oratory of the 
Duchess Anne is now the guard-room. There are still 
several dungeons whose original gruesomeness has been 
left untouched, and whose use in bygone days can well 
be imagined. 

Suscino 

(The chateau of Suscino is one of the chief sights of the 
neighbourhood of Vannes, because it is the ruin of what 
was once a marvellous structure of the thirteenth century, 
and follows the finest Gothic traditions of the time. All 

o 209 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

the roofing of the building has quite disappeared, but 
its battlemented towers and walls remain to give a 
good idea of the architectural perfection that must have 
belonged to it. At one time it fell into the hands of 
Charles of Blois, only to be retaken by his rival, 
Montfort, in 1364, and in 1373 it was occupied by an 
J English garrison. Eventually it was bestowed upon 
John of Chalons, Prince of Orange, by Anne of Brittany, 
but in time Francis I relieved him of it in order to 
present it to Francoise de Foix, the celebrated Lady of 
Chateaubriant. The irregular pentagon formed by the 
chateau is possibly somewhat modified from the original 
plan of 1320, and of the seven towers which flanked its 
gates and walls in the beginning six have weathered the 
storms of the times through which they have passed. 
Its orchid-shaped machicolations have also survived, and 
even to-day they are noticeably beautiful. The new 
tower is a fine cylindrical keep, dating from the fourteenth 
century, and over the entrance this legend still remains : 

Ici Est Ne 
Le Due Arthur III 
le 24 Aotit, *39f] 

We have already dealt with many of the stories connected 
with the ancient castles of Brittany, and these will be 
found in nearly every chapter of this book, so varied are 
they. But no tale, however vivid, can hope to capture 
and retain all the wonder and mystery of these grand 
old strongholds, which must be seen in order to leave 
upon the imagination and memory the full impress of 
their weird and extraordinary fascination. 



210 



CHAPTER VIII : HERO-TALES OF 
BRITTANY 

SOON after the Vicomte Hersart de la Villemarque 
published his Barzaz-Breiz, a collection of popular 
ballads from the Breton, critics who possessed a 
knowledge of the language and were acquainted with 
its literature exposed the true nature of the work, act- 
ing, indeed, as did British critics when Macpherson 
published his fragments of Ossian. Villemarque was, 
in fact, a Breton Macpherson. He would hear a Breton 
ballad sung or recited, and would then either enlarge 
upon it and torture it out of all resemblance to its 
original shape, or he would instigate a literary friend to 
do so. We must remember that such a proceeding was 
fashionable at the time, as no less a personage than 
Sir Walter Scott had led the way, and he had been 
preceded by Burns in the practice. But whereas Burns 
made no secret of what he did and greatly enhanced the 
poetical value of the songs and ballads he altered, Scott 
and his friends, Kirkpatrick Sharpe, Leyden, and others, 
indulged in what they described as the "mystification " 
of their acquaintances by these semi-forgeries. Like 
theirs, Villemarque's work had usually an historical or 
legendary basis, but it is impossible to say how much of 
it is original matter of folk-song and how much his own 
invention, unless we compare his versions with those 
furnished by M. Luzel in his Guerziou Breiz-Izel 
(1868), which, however, only contains a few of the 
originals of the tales given in the Barzaz-Breiz, and 
those not the most interesting. 

I have cast the following tales into narrative form from 
the ballads published in the Barzaz-Breiz, where they 

211 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

obviously appear as traditional tales in a polished, 
modern dress. 1 They may be regarded, largely, as efforts 
of the modern imagination regarding the Breton past. 
In any case the author of a book on Breton romances 
would not be justified in omitting all mention of 
Villemarque and refraining from affording the reader a 
specimen of his work, any more than he would be in 
founding solely upon the labours of the Vicomte. 

Lez-Breiz, the Prop of Brittany 
Morvan, chief of Leon, so celebrated in the history of 
the ninth century as one of the upholders of Breton 
independence, and known to tradition as 1 the Prop of 
Brittany,' is the subject of a remarkable series of ballads 
or hero-tales in the Barzaz-Breiz which together con- 
stitute what is almost an epic. These tell of his life, 
death, adventures, travels, and the marvellous feats of 
derring-do he accomplished. In some measure he is 
to Breton legend what Arthur is to British or Holger 
to that of Denmark. That he is familiar to Breton 
tradition there can be no question, and whether 
Villemarque himself wove the following adventures 
around him or not they are certainly typical of the age 
in which the hero flourished. 

Morvan s First Adventure 

One day the child Morvan was sitting at the edge 
of the forest when a cavalier issued from its depths 

1 For the criticism on Villemarque's work see H. Gaidoz and P. 
Sebillot, " Bibliographic des Traditions et de la Literature populaire 
de la Bretagne" (in the Revue Celtique, t. v, pp. 277 ff.). The title 
Barzaz-Breiz means "The Breton Bards," the author being under the 
delusion that the early forms of the ballads he collected and altered 
had been composed by the ancient bards of Brittany. 

212 



Morvan's First Adventure 

armed at all points and riding a great charger. The 
boy, excited by his martial appearance, ran from 
him in terror, calling out that here indeed was 
St Michael ; but the cavalier rode so swiftly that he 
soon came up with the lad, who devoutly threw him- 
self on his knees and made the sign of the Cross, calling 
out : 

" Seigneur Saint Michael, in the name of God I pray 
thee do me no harm ! " 

The knight laughed loudly. "Why, lad," he said, " I 
am no more Saint Michael than I am a thief, but merely 
a belted knight, such as one may meet with by the 
score in this land of chivalry." 

"I have never seen a knight," replied Morvan ; " and 
what may that be which you carry ? " 
" That is called a lance, my boy." 

" And what are these that you wear on your head and 
breast ? " 

"The one is a casque and the other a breast-plate. 
They are intended to protect me from the stroke of 
sword and spear. But tell me, lad, have you seen any 
one pass this way ? " 

" Yes, Seigneur, a man went by this very road not 
half an hour agone." 

" Thank you, boy," replied the knight. "If you are asked 
who spoke to you, say the Count of Quimper," and with 
these words he spurred his horse and set off down 
the road in the direction which the little Morvan had 
indicated. 

Morvan returned to his mother, who had been sitting 
some distance away, and began to tell her of his meeting. 
He was so full of the gallantry of the knight he had 
met, his grace and martial bearing, that the good dame 

213 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

could not stem the torrent of words which flowed 
from him. 

" Oh, mother," he babbled on, "you never saw any- 
one so splendid as him whom I have seen to-day, a man 
more beautiful than the Lord Michael the Archangel, 
whose image is in our church." 

His mother smiled and patted him fondly on the cheek. 
" Come, my son," she said, " there is no man so beautiful 
as the Archangel Michael." 
But little Morvan shook his head. 

" Saving your grace, there are, my mother," he said 
gravely. " There are many men more splendid than 
Saint Michael, and they are called knights. How I 
wish that I might grow up and become a knight too ! " 
At these words the poor lady, who had lost her 
husband in battle and who dreaded that her only son 
might be taken from her, was seized with such dismay 
that she sank to the ground unconscious. The little 
Morvan, without turning his head, entered the stables 
and led out a fresh horse. Jumping lightly on the 
steed's back, he turned its head in the direction in 
which the splendid cavalier had gone and rode hastily 
after him. 

The Return of Morvan 

Ten years passed — years full of martial achievement 
and adventure for young Morvan. Then a desire to 
return to the ancestral mansion seized upon the youth, 
and he made his way homeward. But great was his 
dismay when he entered the courtyard of the manor 
and looked about him, for the blackberry bushes and 
the nettles were growing round the threshold of the 
house and the walls were half ruined and covered with 



214 




MORVAN RETURNS TO HIS RUINED HOME 



The Return of Morvan 



ivy. As he was about to enter he observed a poor old 
blind woman standing in the entrance. 
" Pardon me, dame, but perhaps you can give me 
hospitality for the night," he said. 

"Alas! sir, we have but little," she replied. "This 
house has been allowed to go to ruin since its son and 
heir quitted it." 

As she ceased speaking a young damsel descended the 
broken stone steps, and after regarding Morvan for a 
moment burst into tears. 

"How now, maiden," said Morvan, "wherefore do 
you weep ? " 

"Alas, Seigneur," replied the maiden, "I have a 

brother who left us ten years ago to lead the life of 

a warrior, and every time that I see a youth about his 

age I feel myself compelled to weep." 

"Tell me, my child," said Morvan, "have you no other 

brother?" 

" None in the world, Sir Knight." 
" And your mother, what of her ? " 

"Alas! sir, she too is gone. There is no one but 
myself and my old nurse in the house. My poor 
mother died of grief when my brother rode off to become 
a knight." 

On hearing these words Morvan was deeply affected. 
"Alas!" he cried, "wretch that I am, I have slain her 
who gave me birth ! " 

When he spoke thus the damsel turned deadly pale. 
" In the name of heaven, sir, who are you?" she cried. 
" How are you named ? " 

" I am Morvan, son of Conan, and Lez-Breiz is my 
surname, my sister." 

The young girl stared for a moment, sighed, and then 

2I 5 



Legends &? Romances of Brittany 

fell into his arms ; but soon she opened her eyes and 
praised God that she had found her long-lost brother. 

The Kings Cavalier 

But Lez-Breiz could not remain long at home. The 
tented field was his fireside, the battle his sport. 
Adventure followed adventure in his full and stirring 
life. One day he said to his young squire : 
" Arouse you, my squire, and furnish my sword, my 
casque, and my shield, that I may redden them in the 
blood of the Franks, for with the help of God and 
this right arm I shall carry slaughter into their ranks 
this day." 

" Tell me, my lord," asked the squire, " shall I not fight 
along with you to-day ? " 

Morvan smiled at the lad's eagerness, perhaps because 
he remembered his own on the day he met the 
Count of Quimper, then a grave shadow crossed his 
face. 

"Think of your mother, lad," said he. "What if you 
never return to her ? Think of her grief should you 
die this day." 

"Ah, Seigneur," entreated the stripling, "if you love 
me, grant my prayer ; let me fight along with you." 
When Morvan rode out to battle an hour later his 
squire rode beside him, knee to knee. Passing near 
the church of St Anne of Armor they entered. 
"O Saint Anne, most holy dame," prayed Morvan, " I 
am not yet twenty years old and I have been in twenty 
battles. All those I have gained by your aid, and if I 
return again to this land I shall make you a rich gift. I 
shall give you enough candles to go three times round the 
walls of your church, and thrice round your churchyard — 
216 



The King's Cavalier 

aye, thrice round your lands, when I come home again ; 
and further I shall give you a banner of white satin with 
an ivory staff. Also shall I give you seven silver bells 
which will ring gaily night and day above your head. 
And three times on my knees will I draw water for 
your use." 

The enemy saw Morvan coming from afar. He was 
mounted on a small white ass with a halter of hemp, to 
signify his contempt for them. Lorgnez, his chief foe, 
came against him with a troop of warriors, while Morvan 
had only his little squire behind him. The foemen came 
on, ten by ten, until they reached the Wood of Chestnuts. 
For a moment the little squire was dismayed, but a word 
from his master rallied him, and, drawing his sword, he 
spurred forward. Soon they came front to front with 
Lorgnez and hailed him in knightly fashion. 
" Ho! Seigneur Lorgnez, good day to you." 
"Good morrow, Seigneur Morvan. Will you engage in 
single combat ? " 

" No ; I despise your offer. Go back to your King and 
tell him that I mock him ; and as for yourself, I laugh 
at you and those with you. Return to Paris, stay 
among your women, take off your mail and put on 
the silken armour of fops." 
Lorgnez's face flamed with anger. 

" By heaven!" he cried, "the lowest varlet in my 
company shall hew your casque from your head for 
this ! " 

At these words Morvan drew his great sword. 

The old hermit of the wood heard some one knocking 
on the door of his cell. He opened it quickly and saw 
the young squire standing before him. He started 

217 



Legends &? Romances of Brittany 

back at the sight of the youth's blood-stained armour 
and death-pale countenance. 

" Ha, my son," he cried, "you are sorely hurt. Come 
and wash your wounds at the fountain and repose for a 
little." 

" I may not rest here, good father," replied the squire, 
shaking his head. " I have come to find water to take 
to my young master, who has fallen in the fight. Thirty 
warriors lie slain by his hand. Of these the Chevalier 
Lorgnez was the first." 

"Brave youth!" said the hermit. "Alas that he has 
fallen ! " 

" Do not grieve, father. It is true that he has fallen, 
but it is only from fatigue. He is unwounded and will 
soon recover himself." 

When he was recovered Morvan betook him to the 
chapel of St Anne and rendered the gifts he had 
promised her. 

" Praise be to Saint Anne," cried he, "for she it is who 
has gained this victory." 

The Kings Blackamoor 

One day the King of the Franks was sitting among his 
courtiers. 

" Would that some one would rid me of this pestilent 

Morvan, who constantly afflicts the Frankish land and 

slays my doughtiest warriors," he said, on hearing of a 

fresh exploit on the part of the Breton chief. 

Then the King's blackamoor, who heard these words, 

arose and stood before his master. He was tall and 

great of thew and sinew — a giant among men, towering 

head and shoulders even above the tall Frankish 

warriors. 

218 



The King's Blackamoor 

"Allow me to fulfil your wishes, sire," he said. " Sir 
Morvan has sent me his glove, and if to-morrow I do 
not bring you his head I will willingly part with 
my own." 

On the next morning Morvan's squire came to his 
master trembling violently. 

" Seigneur," he said, with ashy countenance, " the King's 
Moor is here and bids you defiance." 
Morvan rose and took his sword. 

" Alas! my dear master," said the squire, "take heed 
what you do, I pray you, for I assure you that this Moor 
is nothing but a demon who practises the most horrible 
enchantments." 

Morvan laughed. "Well, we shall see whether this 
demon can withstand cold steel or not," he said. "Go 
and saddle my black horse." 

" Saving your grace," said the page, " if you will 
hearken to my words you will not fight on the black 
charger. He has been bewitched. Moreover, you will 
notice that when you enter the lists to fight the Moor 
he will cast his mantle to the ground. But do not 
follow his example, for should your mantle fall beneath 
his the strength of the black giant will be doubled. 
When the Moor advances to the attack make the sign 
of the Cross with the shaft of your lance, and when he 
rushes upon you in his battle-fury receive him with the 
steel. If you do this you may be sure that your lance 
will not break." 

The heroes met within the lists. The King of France 
and his nobles had followed the giant Moor in order 
to witness the combat, and when all had been seated 
the trumpets sounded and the two champions rushed 
together with the utmost fury. They circled round one 

219 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

another like eagles seeking an opening to strike. Now 
one struck, then the other, and the blood flowed down 
their bright armour. The Frankish King in high 
excitement called out : 

* Ho ! black crow of the sea, pierce me now this merle." 
At these words the giant assailed Morvan most furiously, 
as a great tempest assails a ship. The lances crossed, 
but that of the Moor broke like matchwood. Both 
leaped to earth, sword in hand, and rushed at each 
other like lions. Many lusty strokes were given and 
taken, and from their armour flew sparks like those 
from a smith's anvil. Then the Moor, grasping his 
sword with both hands, made ready to strike a mighty 
blow, when swift and trenchantly Morvan thrust 
his blade far into the arm-pit and the heart and 
the giant tumbled to the earth like a falling tree. 
Morvan placed his foot on the dead mans breast, with- 
drew his sword, and cut off the Moor's head. Then, 
attaching the bleeding trophy to the pommel of his 
saddle, he rode home with it and affixed it to the gate 
of his castle. All men praised him for his doughty deed, 
but he gave the grace of his victory entirely to St Anne, 
and declared that he would build a house of prayer in 
her honour on the heights between L^guer and the 
Guindy. 

Morvan Fights the King 

One day Morvan sallied forth to encounter the King of 
the Franks himself. The King brought no fewer than 
five thousand mounted men-at-arms. As this host was 
about to set out, a great clap of thunder resounded in 
the vault of heaven, and the King's nobles perforce 
regarded it as a bad omen. 
220 



Morvan Fights the King 

" For heavens sake, sire, go not hence," said one of 
them, " since the day has begun with such an evil 
token." 

" Impossible," was the royal reply. " I have given the 
order ; we must march." 

That morning, on the other hand, the sister of Morvan 
said to her brother : " My dear brother, if you love me 
seek not this combat, for if you do you will certainly go 
to your death, and what will become of me afterward ? 
I see on the shore the white sea-horse, the symbol of 
Brittany. A monstrous serpent entwines him, seizing 
him round the hind legs and the body with his enormous 
coils. The sea-steed turns his head to seize the reptile. 
The combat is unequal. You are alone ; the Franks 
are legion ! " 

But Morvan was already beyond ear-shot. 

As the hermit of the wood of Hellean 1 slept three 
knocks sounded on his door. 

"Good hermit," said some one, "open the door. I seek 
an asylum and help from you." 

The wind blew coldly from the country of the Franks. 
It was the hour when savage beasts wander here and 
there in search of their prey. The hermit did not rise 
with alacrity. 

"Who are you who knock at my door at this hour of 
night demanding an entrance ? " he asked sulkily ; 
"and by what sign shall I know whether you are a true 
man or otherwise ? " 

" Priest, I am well known in this land. I am Morvan 
Lez-Breiz, the Hatchet of Brittany." 
" I will not open my door to you," said the hermit hastily. 
1 Once a part of the forest of Broceliande. It has now disappeared. 

221 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

" You are a rebel ; you are the enemy of the good King 
of the Franks." 

" How, priest!" cried Morvan angrily, " I am a Breton 

and no traitor or rebel. It is the King of the Franks 

who has been a traitor to this land." 

" Silence, recreant!" replied the hermit. "Rail not 

against the King of the Franks, for he is a man of 

God." 

"Of God, say you? Nay, rather of the devil! Has he 
not ravaged and wasted the Breton land ? The gold 
that he wrings from the Breton folk is expended for the 
good of Satan. Open, hermit, open ! " 
" Not so, my son, for should I do so the Franks would 
surely fix a quarrel upon me." 

" You refuse?" shouted Morvan in a voice of thunder. 
" Good ; then I shall burst into your cell," and with 
these words he threw himself against the door, which 
creaked ominously. 

" Hold, my son, hold ! " cried the old hermit in tremulous 
tones. " Forbear and I will open to you" ; and seizing 
a torch he lit it at the remains of his fire and went to 
open the door. 

The Severed Head 

He unlocked it and drew it back, but as he did so he 
recoiled violently, for he saw advancing upon him a 
terrible spectre, holding its head in its two hands. Its 
eyes seemed full of blood and fire, and rolled round and 
round in a most horrible manner. The hermit was 
about to shriek in terror when the head of the apparition, 
after laughing grimly, addressed him : 
" Come now, old Christian, do not be afraid. God 
permits this thing to be. He has allowed the Franks 
222 



The Severed Head 



to decapitate me, but for a time only, and as you see 
me now I am only a phantom. But He will permit you 
yourself to replace my head on my shoulders if you 
will." 

The hermit stammered and drew back. This was not 
his first encounter with the supernatural, which he had 
good reason to dread, but like all Bretons he had come 
under the magnetism of Morvan, even although he 
believed that the King of the Franks was his rightful 
overlord ; so, steeling himself against his natural 
timidity, he said : 

" If God permits this thing I shall be very willing to 
replace your head on your shoulders." 
"Take it, then," said the decapitated Morvan, and with 
trembling hands the priest took the gory trophy and 
replaced it on the Breton chief s shoulders, saying at 
the same time : " I replace your head, my son, in the 
name of God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit." 
And by virtue of this benediction the phantom once 
more became a man. 

" Morvan," said the hermit, " you must do penance, heavy 
penance, with me. You must carry about with you for 
seven years a robe of lead, padlocked to your neck, and 
each day at the hour of twelve you must go to fetch 
water from the well at the summit of the mountain 
yonder." 

" I will do as you desire," said Morvan ; " I will follow 
your saintly wish." 

When the seven years of the penance had passed the 
robe had flayed Morvan's skin severely, and his beard, 
which had become grey, and the hair of his head, fell 
almost to his waist. Those who saw him did not 
recognize him ; but a lady dressed in white, who passed 

223 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

through the greenwood, stopped and gazed earnestly at 
him and her eyes filled with tears. 

" Morvan, my dear son, it is indeed you," she said. 

" Come here, my beloved child, that I may free you of 

your burden," and she cut the chain which bound the 

shirt of lead to the shoulders of the penitent with a pair 

of golden scissors, saying : 

" I am your patron, Saint Anne of Armor." 

Now for seven years had the squire of Morvan sought 

his master, and one day he was riding through the 

greenwood of Hellean. 

" Alas! " he said, " what profits it that I have slain his 
murderer when I have lost my dear lord ? " 
Then he heard at the other end of the wood the plain- 
tive whinnying of a horse. His own steed sniffed the 
air and replied, and then he saw between the parted 
branches a great black charger, which he recognized as 
that of Lez-Breiz. Once more the beast whinnied 
mournfully. It almost seemed as if he wept. He was 
standing upon his master's grave ! 

But, like Arthur and Barbarossa, Morvan Lez-Breiz 
will yet return. Yes, one day he will return to fight 
the Franks and drive them from the Breton land ! 
We have sundry intimations here of the sources from 
which Villemarque drew a part at least of his matter. 
There are resemblances to Arthurian and kindred 
romances. For example, the incident which describes 
the flight of young Morvan is identical with that in the 
Arthurian saga of Percival le Gallois, where the child 
Percival quits his mother's care in precisely the same 
fashion. The Frankish monarch and his Court, too, 
are distinctly drawn in the style of the chansons de 
gestes, which celebrated the deeds of Charlemagne and 
224 



The Ballad of Bran 

his peers. There are also hints that the paganism 
against which Charlemagne fought, that of the Moors 
of Spain, had attracted the attention of the author, 
and this is especially seen in his introduction of the 
Moorish giant, so common a figure in the Carlovingian 
stories. 

The Ballad of Bran 

A sorrowful and touching ballad, claimed by Villemarque 
as being sung in the Breton dialect of Leon, tells of the 
warrior Bran, who was wounded in the great fight of 
Kerlouan, a village situated on the coast of Leon, in the 
tenth century. The coast was raided by the Norsemen, 
and the Bretons, led by their chief, Even the Great, 
marched against them and succeeded in repelling them. 
The Norsemen, however, carried off several prisoners, 
among them a warrior called Bran. Indeed, a village 
called Kervran, or 'the village of Bran,' still exists 
near the seashore, and here it was, tradition relates, 
that the warrior was wounded and taken by the 
Scandinavian pirates. In the church of Goulven is to 
be seen an ancient tablet representing the Norse vessels 
which raided the coast. 

The ballad recounts how Bran, on finding himself on 
the enemy's ship, wept bitterly. On arriving in the 
land of the Norsemen he was imprisoned in a tower, 
where he begged his gaolers to allow him to send a 
letter to his mother. Permission to do so was granted, 
and a messenger was found. The prisoner advised this 
man, for his better safety, to disguise himself in the habit 
of a beggar, and gave him his gold ring in order that 
his mother might know that the message came from her 
son in very truth. He added : " When you arrive in 

p 225 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

my country proceed at once to my mother, and if she 
is willing to ransom me show a white sail on your 
return, but if she refuses, hoist a black sail." 
When the messenger arrived at the warrior's home in the 
country of Leon the lady was at supper with her family 
and the bards were present playing on their harps. 
"Greeting, lady," said the messenger. " Behold the 
ring of your son, Bran, and here is news from him con- 
tained in this letter, which I pray you read quickly." 
The lady took the missive, and, turning to the harpers, 
told them to cease playing. Having perused the letter 
she became extremely agitated, and, rising with tears 
in her eyes, gave orders that a vessel should be 
equipped immediately so that she might sail to seek her 
son on the morrow. 

One morning Bran, the prisoner, called from his tower : 
"Sentinel, Sentinel, tell me, do you see a sail on the 

sea?" 

" No," replied the sentinel, " I see nothing but the sea 
and the sky." 

At midday Bran repeated the question, but was told 
that nothing but the birds and the billows were in sight. 
When the shadows of evening gathered he asked once 
more, and the perfidious sentinel replied with a lie : 
"Yes, lord, there is a ship close at hand, beaten by 
wind and sea." 

" And what colour of a sail does she show ? " asked Bran. 
" Is it black or white ? " 

" It is black, lord," replied the sentinel, in a spirit of 
petty spite. 

When the unhappy warrior heard these words he never 
spoke more. 

That night his mother arrived at the town where he 
226 



The Ballad of Bran 

had been imprisoned. She asked of the people : 
" Why do the bells sound ? " 

"Alas! lady," said an ancient man, "a noble prisoner 

who lay in yonder tower died this night." 

With bent head the lady walked to the tower, her white 

hair falling upon her folded arms. When she arrived 

at its foot she said to the guard: "Open the door 

quickly ; I have come to see my son." 

And when the great door was opened she threw herself 

upon the corpse of Bran and breathed her last. 

On the battlefield of Kerlouan there is an oak which 
overshadows the shore and which marks the place 
where the Norsemen fled before the face of Even the 
Great. On this oak, whose leaves shine in the moon, 
the birds gather each night, the birds of the sea and the 
land, both of white and black feather. Among them is an 
old grey rook and a young crow. The birds sing such a 
beautiful song that the great sea keeps silence to hear 
it. All of them sing except the rook and the crow. 
Now the crow says : " Sing, little birds, sing ; sing, little 
birds of the land, for when you die you will at least end 
your days in Brittany. 

The crow is of course Bran in disguise, for the name 
Bran means ' crow ' in the Breton tongue, and the rook 
is possibly his mother. In the most ancient Breton 
traditions the dead are represented as returning to 
earth in the form of birds. A number of the incidents 
in this piece are paralleled in the poem of Sir Tristrem, 
which also introduces a messenger who disguises him- 
self for the purpose of travelling more safely in a 
foreign country, a ring of gold, which is used to 
show the messenger's bona-Jides, a perfidious gaoler, 

227 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

and the idea of the black or white sail. The original 
poem of Sir Tristrem was probably composed about 
the twelfth or thirteenth century, and it would seem 
that the above incidents at least have a Breton source 
behind them. A mother, however, has been substituted 
for a lover, and the ancient Breton dame takes the 
place of Ysonde. There is, indeed, little difference 
between the passage which relates the arrival of the 
mother in the Norsemen's country and that of Ysonde 
in Brittany when she sails on her last voyage with 
the intention of succouring Tristrem. Ysonde also 
asks the people of the place why the bells are ringing, 
one of the ancient inhabitants tells her of the death 
of her lover, and, like the Breton mother, she casts 
herself on the body of him she has lost. 
"This passage," says Villemarque, with wonderful sang- 
froid, " duly attests the prior claim of the Armorican 
piece " ! But even if he had been serious, he wrote 
without the possession of data for the precise fixing 
of the period in which the Breton ballad was composed ; 
and in any case his contention cannot assist the Breton 
argument for Armorican priority in Arthurian literature, 
as borrowing in ballad and folk-tale is much more 
flagrant than he, writing as he did in 1867, could ever 
have guessed — more flagrant even than any adaptation 
he himself ever perpetrated ! 

He adds, however, an antiquarian note to the poem 
which is of far greater interest and probably of more 
value than his supposition. He alludes to the passage 
contained in the ballad regarding the harpers who are 
represented as playing in the hall of Bran's mother 
while she sits at supper. The harp, he states, is no 
longer popular in Brittany, and he asks if this was 
228 



Fontenelle 

always the case. There can be very little doubt that 
in Brittany, as in other Celtic countries — for example, 
Wales, Ireland and Scotland — the harp was in ancient 
times one of the national instruments. It is strange 
that it should have been replaced in that country 
by the biniou, or bagpipe, just as the clairschach, or 
Highland harp, was replaced by the same instrument 
in the Highlands of Scotland. 

Fontenelle 

Guy Eder de Fontenelle, a son of the house of Beau- 
manoir, was one of the most famous partisans of the 
Catholic League, and, according to one who saw him 
in 1587, had then begun to show tendencies to the wild 
life he was afterward to lead. He was sent as a scholar 
to Paris to the College of Boncotest, but in 1589, when 
about sixteen years of age, he became impatient of 
scholastic confinement, sold his books and his robe, 
and bought a sword and poignard. Leaving the college, 
he took the road to Orleans, with the object of attach- 
ing himself to the army of the Duke of Mayenne, chief 
of the Catholic party in France, but, returning to his 
native Brittany, he placed himself at the head of the 
populace, which had risen in arms on behalf of the 
Leaguers. As he was of good family and a Breton 
and displayed an active spirit, they obeyed him very 
willingly. Soon he translated his intentions into action, 
and commenced to pillage the smaller towns and to 
make captive those who differed from him politically. 
He threatened Guingamp, which was held for the 
King, and made a sally into L6on, carrying away the 
daughter of the Lady of Coadelan, a wealthy heiress, 
who was only about eight or nine years of age. This 

229 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

occurrence Villemarque has related for us in Breton 
verse, assuring us that it was ' recovered ' by the Comte 
de Kergariou, a friend of his. Fontenelle is supposed 
to have encountered the little heiress plucking flowers 
in a wayside ditch. 

''Tell me, little one," said he, "for whom do you pluck 
these flowers ? " 

" For my foster-brother, whom I love. But I am afraid, 
for I know that Fontenelle is near." 
" Ha, then, so you know this terrible Fontenelle, my 
child ? " 

" No, sir, I do not know him, but I have heard tell 
of him. I have heard folk say that he is a very wicked 
man and that he carries away young ladies." 
"Yes," replied Fontenelle, with a laugh, "and, above 
all, heiresses." 

He took the child in his arms and swung her on to 
the crupper of his saddle. Then, dashing the spurs 
into his charger's flanks, he set off at a gallop for Saint- 
Malo, where he placed the little heiress in a convent, 
with the object of marrying her when she had arrived 
at the age of fourteen. 

Years afterward Fontenelle and the heiress, who was 
now his wife, went to live at their manor of Coadelan. 
They had a little child beautiful as the day, who greatly 
resembled his father. One day a letter arrived for 
the Seigneur, calling upon him to betake himself to 
Paris at once. His wife was inconsolable. 
" Do not set forth alone for Paris, I pray you," she 
said, "for if you do I shall instantly follow you. Re- 
main at home, I beg of you, and I will send a messenger 
in your stead. In the name of God, do not go, husband, 
for if you do you will never return." 
230 



Fontenelle 



But Fontenelle disregarded his wife's entreaties, and, 
begging her to take good care of their son during his 
absence, set forth on his journey to the capital. In 
due time he arrived in Paris and stood before the 
King and Queen. He greeted them courteously, but 
they looked coldly on him, and the King told him 
bluntly that he should not return to Coadelan, adding : 
" There are sufficient chains in my palace to restrain 
you." 

On hearing this Fontenelle called his little page and 
begged him to return at once to his mistress and tell 
her to discard her finery, because she would soon be 
a widow, and to bring him back a coarse shirt and a 
white sheet, and, moreover, to bring a gold plate on 
which his enemies might expose his head after his 
death. 

" And, little page," he added, "take a lock of my hair 
and place it on the door of Coadelan, so that all men as 
they go to Mass may say, ' God have mercy on the soul 
of Fontenelle.' " 

The page did as he was bidden, but as for the plate of 
gold it was useless, for Fontenelle's head was thrown 
on the pavement to serve as a ball for the children of 
the gutter. 

All Paris was surprised when one day a lady from a 
distant country arrived and made great stir in its narrow 
streets. Every one asked his neighbour who this dame 
might be. It was the heiress of Coadelan, dressed in a 
flowing robe of green. " Alas ! " said the pitiful bur- 
gesses, "if she knew what we know she would be 
dressed in black." Shortly she stood before the King. 
"Sire," said she, "give me back my husband, I beg 
of you." 

231 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

''Alas! madam," replied the King, with feigned 
sorrow, 4 4 what you ask is impossible, for but three 
days ago he was broken on the wheel." 
" Whoso goes to Coadelan to-day will turn away from it 
with grief, for the ashes are black upon the hearth and 
the nettles crowd around the doorway — and still," the 
ballad ends naively, "still the wicked world goes round 
and the poor folk weep with anguish, and say, ' Alas 
that she is dead, the mother of the poor.' " 

The Return from Engla7td 

There is a good deal of evidence to show that a con- 
siderable body of Bretons accompanied the invading 
army of William the Conqueror when he set forth with the 
idea of gaining the English crown. They were attached 
to his second battle corps, and many of them received 
land in England. A ballad which, says Villemarque\ 
bears every sign of antiquity deals with the fortunes of 
a young Breton, Silvestik, who followed in the train 
of the Conqueror. The piece is put into the mouth of 
the mother of Silvestik, who mourns her son's absence, 
and its tone is a tender and touching one. 
" One night as I lay on my bed," says the anxious 
mother, " I could not sleep. I heard the girls at 
Kerlaz singing the song of my son. O God, Silvestik, 
where are you now ? Perhaps you are more than three 
hundred leagues from here, cast on the great sea, and 
the fishes feed upon your fair body. Perhaps you may 
be married now to some Saxon damsel. You were to 
have been wed to a lovely daughter of this land, 
Mannaik de Pouldergat, and you might have been 
among us surrounded by beautiful children, dwelling 
happily in your own home. 
232 



i 



The Return from England 

" I have taken to my door a little white dove which 
sits in a small hollow of the stone. I have tied to 
his neck a letter with the ribbon of my wedding-dress 
and have sent it to my son. Arise, my little dove, 
arise on your two wings, fly far, very far across the 
great sea, and discover if my son is still alive and 
well." 

Silvestik rested in the shade of an English wood, and 
as he did so a familiar note fell upon his ear. 
" That sound resembles the voice of my mother's little 
white dove," he said. The sound grew louder ; it 
seemed to say, " Good luck to you, Silvestik, good luck 
to you. I have here a letter for you." 
Silvestik in high happiness read the letter, and resolved 
to return home to his sorrowing parent. 
Two years passed, three years passed, and the dove 
did not return to delight the heart of the longing mother, 
who day by day walked the dismal seashore waiting 
for the vessel that never came. One day of storm she 
was wandering on the beach as usual when she saw 
a vessel being driven with great force upon the iron 
coast. Even as she watched it it dashed upon the rocks. 
Soon there were cast upon the shore the forms of many 
dead, and when the gale abated and the heart-sick mother 
was able to search among them she found Silvestik ! 
Several competent judges are of opinion that this 
ballad is contemporary with the events which it relates. 
Many of the Breton lords who sailed with William the 
Conqueror did not return for several years after the 
expedition had accomplished its object, and some not 
at all. Nothing is known regarding the hero. The 
bird is frequently the messenger between lovers in 
ballad literature, but it is seldom that it is found 



233 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

carrying letters between a mother and her son — indeed, 
this is perhaps the only instance known. 

The Marriage-Girdle 

This ballad has reference to the Breton expedition 
which sailed for Wales in 1405 to assist the Welsh 
under Owen Glendower to free their principality from 
the English yoke. The Bretons rendered material 
assistance to their Welsh brothers, and had the satis- 
faction on their return of knowing that they had 
accomplished that which no French king had ever 
been able to achieve — the invasion of English territory. 
The expedition was commanded by Jean de Rieux, 
Marshal of France, and numbered ten thousand 
men. 

The ballad tells how a young man on the morning after 
his betrothal received orders to join the standard of 
de Rieux "to help the Bretons oversea." It was with 
bitterness in his heart, says the lover, that he entered 
the house of his betrothed with the object of bidding 
her farewell. He told her that duty called him, and 
that he must go to serve in England. At this her tears 
gushed forth, and she begged him not to go, reminding 
him how changeful was the wind and how perfidious 
the sea. 

" Alas ! " said she, " if you die what shall I do ? In my 
impatience to have news of you my heart will break. I 
shall wander by the seashore, from one cottage to another, 
asking the sailors if they have heard tell of you." 
" Be comforted, Aloida," said her lover, "and do not 
weep on my account. I will send you a girdle from 
over the sea, a girdle of purple set with rubies." 
They parted at daybreak, he to embark on the sea, she 

234 



The Marriage-Girdle 

to weep, and as he sought his ship he could hear the 
magpies cackle : "If the sea is changeable women are 
even more so." 

When the autumn had arrived the young girl said : " I 
have looked far over the sea from the heights of the 
mountains of Arez. I have seen upon the waters a 
ship in danger, and I feel that upon it was him whom I 
love. He held a sword in his hand, he was engaged in 
a terrible combat, he was wounded to death and his 
garments were covered with blood. I am certain that 
he is dead." 

And before many weeks had passed she was affianced 
to another. 

Then good news arrived in the land. The war was 
finished and the cavalier returned to his home with a 
gay heart. No sooner had he refreshed himself than 
he went to seek his beloved. As he approached her 
dwelling he heard the sound of music, and observed 
that every window in the house was illuminated as if 
for a festival. He asked some revellers whom he met 
outside the cause of this merrymaking, and was told 
that a wedding was proceeding. 

It is the custom in Brittany to invite beggars to a 
wedding, and when these were now admitted one of 
them asked hospitality for the night. This was at once 
granted him, but he sat apart, sad and silent. The 
bride, observing this, approached him and asked him 
why he did not join in the feasting. He replied that 
he was weary with travel and that his heart was heavy 
with sorrow. Desirous that the marriage festivities 
should not flag, the bride asked him to join her in the 
dance, and he accepted the invitation, saying, however, 
that it was an honour he did not merit. 



235 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

Now while they danced he came close to her and 
murmured in her ear : 

" What have you done with the golden ring that you 
received from me at the door of this very house ? " 
The bride stared at him in wild dismay. " Oh, heaven," 
she cried, "behold, I have now two husbands! I who 
thought I was a widow ! " 

"You think wrongly, ma belle" hissed the beggar; 
"you will have no husband this side of the grave," 
and drawing a dagger from under his cloak he struck 
the lady to the heart. 

In the abbey of Daoulas there is a statue of the Virgin 
decorated with a splendid girdle of purple sparkling 
with rubies, which came from across the sea. If you 
desire to know who gave it to her, ask of a repentant 
monk who lies prostrate on the grass before the figure 
of the Mother of God. 

It is strange that the faithless damsel should have 
alleged that she saw her lover perish in a naval combat 
when in the very year to which the circumstances of 
the ballad refer (1405) a Breton fleet encountered and 
defeated an English flotilla several leagues from Brest. 
" The combat was terrible," says a historian of the 
Dukes of Burgundy, "and was animated by the ancient 
hate between the English and the Bretons." Perhaps 
it was in this sea-fight that the lady beheld her lover ; 
and if, as she thought, he was slain, she scarcely 
deserves the odium which the balladeer has cast upon 
her memory. 

The Combat of Saint-Cast 

This ballad somewhat belies its name, for it has some 
relation to an extraordinary incident which was the 

236 



The Combat of Saint-Cast 



means rather of preventing than precipitating a battle. 
In 1758 a British army was landed upon the shores of 
Brittany with the object of securing for British merchant 
ships safety in the navigation of the Channel and of 
creating a diversion in favour of the German forces, 
then our allies. A company of men from Lower 
Brittany, from the towns of Treguier and Saint- Pol- 
de Leon, says Villemarque, were marching against a 
detachment of Scottish Highlanders. When at a 
distance of about a mile the Bretons could hear their 
enemies singing a national song. At once they halted 
stupefied, for the air was one well known to them, 
which they were accustomed to hear almost every 
day of their lives. Electrified by the music, which 
spoke to their hearts, they arose in their enthusiasm 
and themselves sang the patriotic refrain. It was the 
Highlanders' turn to be silent. All this time the two 
companies were nearing one another, and when at a 
suitable distance their respective officers commanded 
them to fire ; but the orders were given, says the 
tradition, "in the same language," and the soldiers on 
both sides stood stock-still. Their inaction, however, 
lasted but a moment, for emotion carried away all 
discipline, the arms fell from their hands, and the 
descendants of the ancient Celts renewed on the field 
of battle those ties of brotherhood which had once united 
their fathers. 

However unlikely this incident may seem, it appears to 
be confirmed by tradition, if not by history. The air 
which the rival Celts sang is, says Villemarque, 1 common 

1 £arzaz-£rei'z,p. 335. Sebillot (Traditions de la Haute- Bretagne, t. i, 
p. 346) says that he could gain nothing regarding this incident at the 
village of Saint-Cast but " vague details." 



237 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

to both Brittany and "the Highlands of Scotland." 
With the music before me, it seems to bear a marked 
resemblance to The Garb of Old Gaul, composed by- 
General Reid (1721-1807). Perhaps Reid, who was a 
Highlander, based his stirring march on an older Celtic 
theme common to both lands. 

The Song of the Pilot 

One of the most famous of Breton nautical tradi- 
tions tells of the chivalry displayed by a Breton crew 
toward the men of a British warship. During the 
American War of Independence much enthusiasm 
was excited in France in connexion with the valiant 
struggle for liberty in which the American colonies were 
engaged. A number of Breton ships received letters of 
marque enabling them to fight on the American side 
against Great Britain, and these attempted to blockade 
British commerce. The Surveillante, a Breton vessel 
commanded by Couedic de Kergoaler, encountered the 
British ship Quebec, commanded by Captain Farmer. 
In the course of the action the Surveillante was nearly 
sunk by the British cannonade and the Quebec went 
on fire. But Breton and Briton, laying aside their 
swords, worked together with such goodwill that most 
of the British crew were rescued and the Surveillante 
was saved, although the Quebec was lost, and this 
notwithstanding that nearly every man of both crews 
had been wounded in the fighting. 

I have here attempted a very free translation of the 
stirring ballad which relates this noteworthy incident, 
which cannot but be of interest at such a time as the 
present. 
238 



The Song of the Pilot 



THE SONG OF THE PILOT 

Yo ho, ye men of Sulniac ! 

We ship to-day at Vannes, 

We sail upon a glorious track 

To seek an Englishman. 

Our saucy sloop the Surueillante 

Must keep the seaways clear 

From Ushant in the north to Nantes : 

Aboard her, timoneer ! 

See, yonder is the British craft 

That seeks to break blockade ; 

St George's banner floats abaft 

Her lowering carronade. 

A flash ! and lo, her thunder speaks, 

Her iron tempest flies 

Beneath her bows, and seaward breaks, 

And hissing sinks and dies. 

Thunder replied to thunder ; then 

The ships rasped side by side, 

The battle-hungry Breton men 

A boarding sally tried, 

But the stern steel of Britain flashed, 

And spite of Breton vaunt 

The lads of Morbihan were dashed 

Back on the Surveillante. 

Then was a grim encounter seen 

Upon the seas that day. 

Who yields when there is strife between 

Britain and Brittany? 

Shall Lesser Britain rule the waves 

And check Britannia's pride ? 

Not while her frigate's oaken staves 

Still cleave unto her side ! 

But hold ! hold ! see, devouring fire 

Has seized the stout Quebec. 

The seething sea runs high and higher, 

The Surveillante s a wreck. 

239 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

Their cannon-shot has breached our side, 
Our bolts have fired the foe. 
Quick, to the pumps ! No longer bide ! 
Below, my lads ! below ! 

The yawning leak is filled, the sea 

Is cheated of its prey. 

Now Bretons, let the Britons see 

The heart of Brittany ! 

Brothers, we come to save, our swords 

Are sheathed, our hands are free. 

There is a fiercer fight toward, 

A fiercer foe than we ! 

A long sea-day, till sank the sun, 
Briton and Breton wrought, 
And Great and Little Britain won 
The noblest fight ere fought. 
It was a sailors' victory 
O'er pride and sordid gain. 
God grant for ever peace at sea 
Between the Britains twain ! 



240 



CHAPTER IX : THE BLACK ART 
AND ITS MINISTERS 

SORCERY is a very present power in most isolated 
communities, and in the civilized portions of 
Brittany it is but a thing of yesterday, while in 
the more secluded departments it is very much a thing 
of to-day. The old folk can recall the time when the 
farm, the dairy, and the field were ever in peril of the 
spell, the enchantment, the noxious beam of the evil 
eye, and tales of many a " devilish cantrip sleight,'' as 
Burns happily characterized the activity of the witch 
and the wizard, were told in hushed voices at the Breton 
fireside when the winter wind blew cold from the cruel 
sea and the heaped faggots sent the red glow of fire- 
warmth athwart the thick shadows of the great farm 
kitchen, and old and young from grandsire to herd-boy 
made a great circle to hearken to the creepy tales so 
dear to the Breton heart. 

As in the East, where to refuse baksheesh is to lay 
oneself open to the curse of the evil eye, the beggar 
was regarded as the chief possessor of this bespelling 
member. The guild of tattered wanderers naturally 
nourished this superstition, and to permit one of its 
members to hobble off muttering threats or curses was 
looked upon as suicidal. Indeed, the mendicants were 
wont to boast of their feats of sorcery to the terrified 
peasants, who hastened to placate them by all the means 
in their power. 

Certain villages, too, appear to have possessed an evil 
reputation among the country-folk as the dwelling- 
places of magicians, centres of sorcery, which it was 
advisable to shun. Thus we read in Breton proverb 

Q 241 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

of the sorcerers of Fougeres, of Treves, of Concoret, 
of Lezat. 

The strangest circumstances were connected with the 
phenomena of sorcery by the credulous Bretons. 
Thus, did a peasant join a dance of witches, the sabots 
he had on would be worn out in the course of the 
merrymaking. A churn of turned butter, a sour pail 
of milk, were certain to be accounted for by sorcery. 
In a certain village of Moncontour the cows, the dog, 
even the harmless, necessary cat, died off, and the 
farmer hastened to consult a diviner, who advised him 
to throw milk in the fire and recite certain prayers. 
The farmer obeyed and the spell was broken ! 
In the town of Rennes about fifty years ago dwelt a 
knowing fellow called Robert, a very 4 witch-doctor,' 
who investigated cases of sorcery and undertook the 
dissipation of enchantments. On a certain large farm 
the milk would yield no butter. An agricultural expert 
might have hinted at poor pasturage, but the farmer 
and his wife had other views as to the cause of the 
' insufficiency of fats,' as an analyst would say, in the 
lacteal output of the establishment. Straightway they 
betook themselves to the mysterious Robert, who 
on arriving to investigate the affair was attired in a 
skin dyed in two colours. He held in leash a large 
black dog, evidently his familiar. He exorcized the 
dairy, and went through a number of strange cere- 
monies. Then, turning to the awestruck farm hands, 
he said : 

"You may now proceed with your work. The spell 
is raised. It has been a slow business. I must go 
now, but don't be afraid if you see anything odd." 
With these words he whistled, and a great black horse 
242 



The Black Art and its Ministers 

at once appeared as if from nowhere. Placing his hand 
on its crupper, he vaulted into the saddle, bade good-bye 
to the astonished rustics, and while they gazed at him 
open-mouthed, vanished 'like a flash.' 
Many kinds of amulets or talismans were used by the 
Breton peasantry to neutralize the power of sorcerers. 
Thus, if a person carried a snake with him the en- 
chanters would be unable to harm his sight, and all 
objects would appear to him under their natural forms. 
Salt placed in various parts of a house guarded it 
against the entrance of wizards and rendered their 
spells void. 

But many consulted the witch and the sorcerer for their 
personal advantage, in affairs of the heart, to obtain a 
number in the casting of lots for conscription which would 
free them from military service, and so forth ; and, as 
in other countries, there grew up a class of middlemen 
between the human and the supernatural who posed as 
fortune-tellers, astrologers, and quack mediciners. 
It was said that sorcerers were wont to meet at the 
many Roches aux Fees in Brittany at fixed periods in 
order to deliberate as to their actions and settle their 
affairs. If anyone, it was declared, wandered into their 
circle or was caught by them listening to their secret 
conclave he seldom lived long. Others, terrified at the 
sight presented by the gleaming eyes of the cat-sorcerers, 
blazing like live coals, fled incontinently from their 
presence, and found that in the morning the hair of 
their heads had turned white with the dread experience. 
Long afterward they would sit by the fireside trembling 
visibly at nothing, and when interrogated regarding 
their very evident fears would only groan and bury their 
faces in their hands. 



243 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

A story is told of one, Jean Foucault, who one moon- 
light night had, like Tarn o' Shanter, sat overlong 

Fast by an ingle bleezin' finely, 

Wi' reaming swats that drank divinely, 

where the cider was as good as the company, and, 
issuing at midnight's weary hour from his favourite inn, 
was not in a mood to run away from anything, however 
fearsome. Walking, or rather rolling, across the moor 
singing the burden of the last catch he had trolled with 
his fellows at the ale-house, all on a sudden he stumbled 
into a circle of sorcerer-cats squatting around a cross of 
stone. They were of immense size and of all colours, 
black, grey, white, tortoise-shell, and when he beheld 
them seated round the crucifix, their eyes darting fire 
and the hair bristling on their backs, his song died 
upon his lips and all his bellicose feelings, like those 
of Bob Acres, leaked out at his finger-tips. On 
catching sight of him the animals set up a horrible 
caterwauling that made the blood freeze in his veins. 
For an awful moment the angry cats glared at him 
with death in their looks, and seemed as if about to 
spring upon him. Giving himself up for lost, he closed 
his eyes. But about his feet he could hear a strange 
purring, and, glancing downward, he beheld his own 
domestic puss fawning upon him with every sign of 
affection. 

" Pass my master, Jean Foucault," said the animal. 

" It is well," replied a great grey torn, whom Jean took 

to be the leader ; " pass on, Jean Foucault." 

And Jean, the cider fumes in his head quite dissipated, 

staggered away, more dead than alive. 



244 



Druidic Magic 



Druidic Magic 

The more ancient sorcerers of Brittany deserve a word 
of notice. Magic among the Celtic peoples in olden 
times was so clearly identified with Druidism that its 
origin may be said to have been Druidic. Whether 
Druidism was of Celtic origin, however, is a question 
upon which much discussion has taken place, some 
authorities, among them Rhys, believing it to have been 
of non-Celtic and even non-Aryan origin, and holding 
that the earliest non-Aryan or so-called Iberian people 
of Britain introduced the Druidic religion to the im- 
migrant Celts. An argument advanced in favour of 
this theory is that the Continental Celts sent their 
neophyte Druid priests to Britain to undergo a special 
training at the hands of the British Druids, and that 
this island seems to have been regarded as the head- 
quarters of the cult. The people of Cisalpine Gaul, for 
instance, had no Druidic priesthood. Caesar has told 
us that in Gaul Druidic seminaries were very numerous, 
and that within their walls severe study and discipline 
were entailed upon the neophytes, whose principal busi- 
ness was to commit to memory countless verses en- 
shrining Druidic knowledge and tradition. That this 
instruction was astrological and magical we have the 
fullest proof. 1 

The Druids were magi as they were priests in the same 
sense that the American Indian shaman is both magus 
and priest. That is, they were medicine-men on a 
higher scale, and had reached a loftier stage of tran- 
scendental knowledge than the priest-magicians of more 
barbarous races. Thus they may be said to be a 

1 Rice Holmes, Cessans Conquest, pp. 532-536. 

245 



Legends <§f Romances of Brittany 

link between the barbarian shaman and the magus of 
medieval times. Many of their practices were purely 
shamanistic, while others more closely resembled 
medieval magical rite. But they were not the only 
magicians of the Celts, for frequently among that people 
we find magic power the possession of women and of the 
poetic craft. The magic of Druidism had many points 
of comparison with most magical systems, and perhaps 
approximated more to that black magic which desires 
power for the sake of power alone than to any tran- 
scendental type. Thus it included the power to render 
the magician invisible, to change his bodily shape, to 
produce an enchanted sleep, to induce lunacy, and to 
inflict death from afar. 

The arts of rain-making, bringing down fire from 
heaven, and causing mists, snow-storms, and floods 
were also claimed for the Druids. Many of the spells 
probably in use among them survived until a compara- 
tively late period, and are still employed in some remote 
Celtic localities, the names of saints being substituted 
for those of Celtic deities. Certain primitive ritual, too, 
is still carried out in the vicinity of some megalithic 
structures in Celtic areas, as at Dungiven, in Ireland, 
where pilgrims wash before a great stone in the river 
Roe and then walk round it, and in many parts of 
Brittany. 1 

In pronouncing incantations the usual method employed 
was to stand upon one leg and to point with the 
forefinger to the person or object on which the spell 
was to be laid, at the same time closing one eye, as if 
to concentrate the force of the entire personality upon 
that which was to be placed under ban. A manuscript 
1 See Rolleston, Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race % p. 66. 
246 



Druidic Magic 

possessed by the monastery of St Gall, and dating from 
the eighth or ninth century, includes magical formulae 
for the preservation of butter and the healing of certain 
diseases in the name of the Irish god Diancecht. These 
and others bear a close resemblance to Babylonian and 
Etruscan spells, and thus go to strengthen the hypo- 
thesis often put forward with more or less plausibility 
that Druidism had an Eastern origin. At all magical 
rites spells were uttered. Druids often accompanied an 
army, to assist by their magical arts in confounding the 
enemy. 1 

There is some proof that in Celtic areas survivals of 
a Druidic priesthood have descended to our own time 
in a more or less debased condition. Thus the existence 
of guardians and keepers of wells said to possess magical 
properties, and the fact that in certain families magical 
spells and formulae are handed down from one generation 
to another, are so many proofs of the survival of Druidic 
tradition, however feeble. Females are generally the 
conservators of these mysteries, and that there were 
Druid priestesses is fairly certain. 

The sea-snake's egg, or adder's stone, which is so 
frequently alluded to in Druidic magical tales, otherwise 
called Glain Neidr, was said to have been formed, about 
midsummer, by an assemblage of snakes. A bubble 
formed on the head of one of them was blown by others 
down the whole length of its back, and then, hardening, 
became a crystal ring. It was used as one of the 
insignia of the Archdruid, and was supposed to assist 
in augury. 

The herbe d'or, or 'golden herb,' was a medicinal plant 
much in favour among the Breton peasantry. It is the 
1 See Gomme, Ethnology in Folk-lore, p. 94. 

247 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

selago of Pliny, which in Druidical times was gathered 
with the utmost veneration by a hand enveloped with a 
garment once worn by a sacred person. The owner of 
the hand was arrayed in white, with bare feet, washed 
in pure water. In after times the plant was thought to 
shine from a distance like gold, and to give to those who 
trod on it the power of understanding the language of 
dogs, wolves, and birds. 

These, with the mistletoe, the favourite Druidical plant, 
the sorcerer is entreated, in an old balled, to lay aside, 
to seek no more for vain enchantments, but to remember 
that he is a Christian. 

Abelard and HSloise 

The touching story of the love of Abelard and HeUoise 
has found its way into Breton legend as a tale of 
sorcery. Abelard was a Breton. The Duke of Brittany, 
whose subject he was born, jealous of the glory of 
France, which then engrossed all the most famous 
scholars of Europe, and being, besides, acquainted with 
the persecution Abelard had suffered from his enemies, 
had nominated him to the Abbey of St Gildas, and, by 
this benefaction and mark of his esteem, engaged him 
to pass the rest of his days in his dominions. Abelard 
received this favour with great joy, imagining that by 
leaving France he would quench his passion for Heloise 
and gain a new peace of mind upon entering into his 
new dignity. 

The Abbey of St Gildas de Rhuys was founded on the 
inaccessible coast near Vannes by St Gildas, a British 
saint, the schoolfellow and friend of St Samson of Dol 
and St Pol of L£on, and counted among its monks the 
Saxon St Dunstan, who, carried by pirates from his 
248 



Abelard and Heloise 

native isle, settled on the desolate shores of Brittany 
and became, under the name of St Goustan, the patron 
of mariners. 

St Gildas built his abbey on the edge of a high, rocky 
promontory, the site of an ancient Roman encampment, 
called Grand Mont, facing the shore, where the sea has 
formed numerous caverns in the rocks. The rocks are 
composed chiefly of quartz, and are covered to a con- 
siderable height with small mussels. Abelard, on his 
appointment to the Abbey of St Gildas, made over 
to Heloise the celebrated abbey he had founded at 
Nogent, near Troyes, which he called the Paraclete, or 
Comforter, because he there found comfort and refresh- 
ment after his troubles. With Nogent he was to leave 
his peace. His gentle nature was unable to contend 
against the coarse and unruly Breton monks. As 
he writes in his well-known letter to Heloise, setting 
forth his griefs : "I inhabit a barbarous country where 
the language is unknown to me. I have no dealings 
with the ferocious inhabitants. I walk the inaccessible 
borders of the stormy sea, and my monks have no other 
rule than their own. I wish that you could see my 
dwelling. You would not believe it an abbey. The^ 
doors are ornamented only with the feet of deer, of 
wolves and bears, boars, and the hideous skins of owls. 
I find each day new perils. I expect at every moment 
to see a sword suspended over my head." 
It is scarcely necessary to outline the history of Abelard. 
Suffice it to say that he was one of the most brilliant 
scholars and dialecticians of all time, possessing a 
European reputation in his day. Falling in love with 
Heloise, niece of Fulbert, a canon of Paris, he awoke in 
her a similar absorbing passion, which resulted in their 

249 



Legends ^Sf Romances of Brittany 

mutual disgrace and Abelard's mutilation by the incensed 
uncle. He and his Heloise were buried in one tomb 
at the Paraclete. The story of their love has been 
immortalized by the world's great poets and painters. 
An ancient Breton ballad on the subject has been spoken 
of as a "naif and horrible" production, in which one 
will find "a bizarre mixture of Druidic practice and 
Christian superstition." It describes Heloise as a 
sorceress of ferocious and sanguinary temper. Thus 
can legend magnify and distort human failing ! As its 
presentation is important in the study of Breton folk- 
lore, I give a very free translation of this ballad, in 
which, at the same time, I have endeavoured to preserve 
the atmosphere of the original. 

THE HYMN OF HELOISE 
O Ab£lard, my Abelard, 

Twelve summers have passed since first we kissed. 
There is no love like that of a bard : 
Who loves him lives in a golden mist ! 

Nor word of French nor Roman tongue, 
But only Brezonek could I speak, 
When round my lover's neck I hung 
And heard the harmony of the Greek, 

The march of Latin, the joy of French, 
The valiance of the Hebrew speech, 
The while its thirst my soul did quench 
In the love-lore that he did teach. 

The bossed and bound Evangel's tome 
Is open to me as mine own soul, 
But all the watered wine of Rome 
Is weak beside the magic bowl. 



250 




HELOISE AS SORCERESS 



350 



i 



The Hymn of Helotse 

The Mass I chant like any priest, 
Can shrive the dying or bury the dead, 
But dearer to me to raise the Beast 
Or watch the gold in the furnace red. 

The wolf, the serpent, the crow, the owl, 
The demons of sea, of field, of flood, 
I can run or fly in their forms so foul, 
They come at my call from wave or wood. 

I know a song that can raise the sea, 
Can rouse the winds or shudder the earth, 
Can darken the heavens terribly, 
Can wake portents at a prince's birth. 

The first dark drug that ever we sipped 
Was brewed from toad and the eye of crow, 
Slain in a mead when the moon had slipped 
From heav'n to the fetid fogs below. 

I know a well as deep as death, 
A gloom where I cull the frondent fern, 
Whose seed with that of the golden heath 
I mingle when mystic lore I'd learn. 

I gathered in dusk nine measures of rye, 
Nine measures again, and brewed the twain 
In a silver pot, while fitfully 
The starlight struggled through the rain. 

I sought the serpent's egg of power 
In a dell hid low from the night and day : 
It was shown to me in an awful hour 
When the children of hell came out to play. 

I have three spirits — seeming snakes ; 
The youngest is six score years young, 
The second rose from the nether lakes, 
And the third was once Duke Satan's tongue. 

The wild bird's flesh is not their food, 
No common umbles are their dole; 
I nourish them well with infants' blood, 
Those precious vipers of my soul. 



Legends SP Romances of Brittany 

O Satan ! grant me three years still, 
But three short years, my love and I, 
To work thy fierce, mysterious will, 
Then gladly shall we yield and die. 

Heloi'se, wicked heart, beware ! 
Think on the dreadful day of wrath, 
Think on thy soul ; forbear, forbear ! 
The way thou tak'st is that of death ! 

Thou craven priest, go, get thee hence ! 
No fear have I of fate so fell. 
Go, suck the milk of innocence, 
Leave me to quaff the wine of hell ! 

It is difficult to over-estimate the folk-lore value of 
such a ballad as this. Its historical value is clearly 
nil. We have no proof that Heloi'se was a Breton ; 
but fantastic errors of this description are so well 
known to the student of ballad literature that he is 
able to discount them easily in gauging the value of a 
piece. 

In this weird composition the wretched abbess is de- 
scribed as an alchemist as well as a sorceress, and she 
descends to the depths of the lowest and most revolting 
witchcraft. She practises shape-shifting and similar arts. 
She has power over natural forces, and knows the past, 
the present, and the things to be. She possesses 
sufficient Druidic knowledge to permit her to gather 
the greatly prized serpent's egg, to acquire which was 
the grand aim of the Celtic magician. The circum- 
stances of the ballad strongly recall those of the poem 
in which the Welsh bard Taliesin recounts his magical 
experiences, his metamorphoses, his knowledge of the 
darker mysteries of nature. 
252 



Nantes of the Magicians 



Nantes of the Magicians 

The poet is in accord with probability in making the 
magical exploits of Abelard and Heloise take place at 
Nantes — a circumstance not indicated in the translation 
owing to metrical exigencies. Nantes was, indeed, a 
classic neighbourhood of sorcery. An ancient college 
of Druidic priestesses was situated on one of the islands 
at the mouth of the Loire, and the traditions of its 
denizens had evidently been cherished by the inhabitants 
of the city even as late as the middle of the fourteenth 
century, for we find a bishop of the diocese at that period 
obtaining a bull of excommunication against the local 
sorcerers, and condemning them to the eternal fires with 
bell, book, and candle. 1 

The poet, it is plain, has confounded poor Heloise with 
the dark sisterhood of the island of the Loire. The 
learning she received from her gifted lover had been 
her undoing in Breton eyes, for the simple folk of 
the duchy at the period the ballad gained currency 
could scarcely be expected to discriminate between a 
training in rhetoric and philosophy and a schooling in 
the grimoires and other accomplishments of the pit. 

1 It is of interest to recall the fact that Abelard was born near Nantes, 
in 1079. 



253 



CHAPTER X : ARTHURIAN 
ROMANCE IN BRITTANY 



IERCE and prolonged has been the debate as to 



the original birthplace of Arthurian legend, autho- 



A rities of the first rank, the ' Senior Wranglers ' of 
the study, as Nutt has called, them, hotly advancing 
the several claims of Wales, England, Scotland, and 
Brittany. In this place it would be neither fitting 
nor necessary to traverse the whole ground of argu- 
ment, and we must content ourselves with the examina- 
tion of Brittany's claim to the invention of Arthurian 
story — and this we will do briefly, passing on to some 
of the tales which relate the deeds of the King or his 
knights on Breton soil. 

Confining ourselves, then, to the proof of the existence 
of a body of Arthurian legend in Brittany, we are, 
perhaps, a little alarmed at the outset to find that our 
manuscript sources are scanty. " It had to be acknow- 
ledged," says Professor Saintsbury, " that Brittany could 
supply no ancient texts whatever, and hardly any ancient 
traditions." 1 But are either of these conditions essential 
to a belief in the Breton origin of Arthurian romance ? 
The two great hypotheses regarding Arthurian origins 
have been dubbed the 'Continental' and the 'Insular' 
theories. The first has as its leading protagonist Pro- 
fessor Wendelin Forster of Bonn, who believes that the 
immigrant Britons brought the Arthur legend with them 
to Brittany and that the Normans of Normandy received 
it from their descendants and gave it wider territorial 
scope. The second school, headed by the brilliant 
M. Gaston Paris, believes that it originated in Wales. 
1 The Flourishing of Romance and the Rise of Allegory > p. 135. 
254 




Arthurian Romance in Brittany 

If we consider the first theory, then, we can readily see 
that ancient texts are not essential to its acceptance. 
In any case the entire body of Arthurian texts prior 
to the twelfth century is so small as to be almost 
negligible. The statement that " hardly any ancient 
traditions " of the Arthurian legend exist in Brittany 
is an extraordinary one. In view of the circumstances 
that in extended passages of Arthurian story the scene 
is laid in Brittany (as in the Merlin and Vivien incident 
and the episode of Yseult of the White Hand in the 
story of Tristrem), that Geoffrey of Monmouth speaks 
of " the Breton book" from which he took his matter, 
and that Marie de France states that her tales are drawn 
from old Breton sources, not to admit the possible exist- 
ence of a body of Arthurian tradition in Brittany appears 
capricious. Thomas's Sir Tristrem is professedly based 
on the poem of the Breton Breri, and there is no reason 
why Brittany, drawing sap and fibre as it did from 
Britain, should not have produced Arthurian stories of 
its own. 

On the whole, however, that seems to represent the sum 
of its pretensions as a main source of Arthurian romance. 
The Arthurian story seems to be indigenous to British 
soil, and if we trace the origin of certain episodes to 
Brittany we may safely connect these with the early 
British immigrants to the peninsula. This is not to 
say, however, that Brittany did not influence Norman 
appreciation of the Arthurian saga. But that it did so 
more than did Wales is unlikely, in view of documentary 
evidence. Both Wales and Brittany, then, supplied 
matter which the Norman and French poets shaped 
into verse, and if Brittany was not the birthplace of the 
legend it was, in truth, one of its cradle-domains. 

255 



Legends @P Romances of Brittany 



The Sword of Arthur 

Let us collect, then, Arthurian incidents which take 
place in Brittany. First, Arthur's finding of the mar- 
vellous sword Excalibur would seem to happen there, 
as Vivien, or Nimue, the Lady of the Lake, was un- 
doubtedly a fairy of Breton origin who does not appear 
in British myth. 

For the manner in which Arthur acquired the renowned 
Excalibur, or Caliburn, the Morte d' Arthur is the 
authority. The King had broken his sword in two 
pieces in a combat with Sir Pellinore of Wales, and 
had been saved by Merlin, who threw Sir Pellinore 
into an enchanted sleep. 

" And so Merlin and Arthur departed, and as they rode 
along King Arthur said, 1 I have no sword.' 1 No 
force,' 1 said Merlin; ' here is a sword that shall be 
yours, an I may.' So they rode till they came to a lake, 
which was a fair water and a broad ; and in the midst 
of the lake King Arthur was aware of an arm clothed 
in white samite, that held a fair sword in the hand. 
' Lo,' said Merlin unto the King, ' yonder is the sword 
that I spoke of.' With that they saw a damsel going 
upon the lake. ' What damsel is that ? ' said the King. 
4 That is the Lady of the Lake,' said Merlin; ' and 
within that lake is a rock, and therein is as fair a place 
as any on earth, and richly beseen ; and this damsel will 
come to you anon, and then speak fair to her that she 
will give you that sword.' Therewith came the damsel 
to King Arthur and saluted him, and he her again. 
' Damsel,' said the King, ; what sword is that which the 
arm holdeth yonder above the water ? I would it were 
1 No matter. 
256 



KING ARTHUR AND MERLIN AT THE LAKE 



I: 

r 



Tristrem and Ysonde 

mine, for I have no sword.' ' Sir King,' said the damsel 
of the lake, ' that sword is mine, and if ye will give me 
a gift when I ask it you, ye shall have it.' ' By my faith,' 
said King Arthur, 1 1 will give you any gift that you will 
ask or desire.' 'Well,' said the damsel, 'go into yonder 
barge, and row yourself unto the sword, and take it and 
the scabbard with you ; and I will ask rry gift when I 
see my time.' So King Arthur and Merlin alighted, 
tied their horses to two trees, and so they went into the 
barge. And when they came to the sword that the hand 
held, King Arthur took it up by the handles, and took 
it with him, and the arm and the hand went under the 
water ; and so came to the land and rode forth. King 
Arthur looked upon the sword, and liked it passing 
well. 'Whether liketh you better,' said Merlin, 'the 
sword or the scabbard ? ' ' Me liketh better the sword,' 
said King Arthur. 'Ye are more unwise,' said Merlin, 
' for the scabbard is worth ten of the sword ; for while 
ye have the scabbard upon you, ye shall lose no blood, 
be ye never so sore wounded ; therefore keep well the 
scabbard alway with you.'" 

Sir Lancelot du Lac, son of King Ban of Benwik, was 
stolen and brought up by the Lady of the Lake, from 
whose enchanted realm he took his name. But he does 
not appear at all in true Celtic legend, and is a mere 
Norman new-comer. 

Tristrem and Ysonde 

Following the Arthurian ' chronology ' as set forth in 
the Morte d Arthur, we reach the great episode of Sir 
Tristrem of Lyonesse, a legendary country off the coast 
of Cornwall. This most romantic yet most human tale 
must be accounted one of the world's supreme love 

R 257 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

stories. It has inspired some of our greatest poets, and 
moved Richard Wagner to the composition of a splendid 
opera. 

One of the first to bring this literary treasure to public 
notice was Sir Walter Scott, who felt a strong chord 
vibrate in his romantic soul when perusing that version 
of the tale of which Thomas of Ercildoune is the 
reputed author. Taking this as the best and most 
ancient version of Tristrem, we may detail its circum- 
stances as follows : 

The Duke Morgan and Roland Rise, Lord of Ermonie, 
two Cymric chieftains, had long been at feud, and at 
length the smouldering embers of enmity burst into open 
flame. In the contest that ensued the doughty Roland 
prevailed, but he was a generous foe, and granted 
a seven years' truce to his defeated adversary. Some 
time after this event Roland journeyed into Cornwall 
to the Court of Mark, where he carried off the honours 
in a tourney. But he was to win a more precious 
prize in the love of the fair Princess Blancheflour, sister 
of King Mark, who grew to adore him passionately. 
Meanwhile Duke Morgan took foul advantage of the 
absence of Roland, and invaded his land. Rohand, a 
trusty vassal of Roland, repaired to Cornwall, where he 
sought out his master and told him of Morgan's broken 
faith. Then Roland told Blancheflour of his plight, 
how that he must return to his own realm, and she, 
fearing her brother Mark, because she had given her 
love to Roland without the King's knowledge, resolved 
to fly with her lover. The pair left Cornwall hurriedly, 
and, reaching one of Roland's castles, were wed there. 
Roland, however, had soon to don his armour, for news 
was brought to him that Duke Morgan was coming 

258 



Tristrem and Ysonde 

against him with a great army. A fierce battle ensued, 
in which Roland at first had the advantage, but the 
Duke, being reinforced, pressed him hotly, and in the 
end Roland was defeated and slain. Blancheflour 
received news of her lord's death immediately before 
the birth of her son, and, sore stricken by the woeful 
news, she named him Tristrem, or ' Child of Sorrow.' 
Then, recommending him to the care of Rohand, to 
whom she gave a ring which had belonged to King 
Mark, her brother, to prove Tristrem's relationship to 
that prince, she expired, to the intense grief of all her 
attendants. To secure the safety of his ward, Rohand 
passed him off as his own child, inverting the form of 
his name to ' Tremtris.' Duke Morgan now ruled 
over the land of Ermonie, and Rohand had perforce to 
pay him a constrained homage. 

When he arrived at a fitting age Tristrem was duly 
instructed in all knightly games and exercises by his 
foster-father, and grew apace in strength and skill. 
Once a Norwegian vessel arrived upon the coast of 
Ermonie laden with a freight of hawks and treasure 
(hawks at that period were often worth their weight 
in gold). The captain challenged anyone to a game of 
chess with him for a stake of twenty shillings, and 
Rohand and his sons, with Tristrem, went on board 
to play with him. Tristrem moved so skilfully that 
he overcame the captain, and won from him, in many 
games, six hawks and the sum of a hundred pounds. 
While the games were proceeding Rohand went on 
shore, leaving Tristrem in the care of his preceptor, 
and the false captain, to avoid paying what he had lost, 
forced the preceptor to go on shore alone and put to sea 
with the young noble. 

259 



Legends {§P Romances of Brittany 

The ship had no sooner sailed away than a furious gale 
arose, and as it continued for some days the mariners 
became convinced that the tempest was due to the 
injustice of their captain, and being in sore dread, they 
paid Tristrem his winnings and set him ashore. Dressed 
in a robe of ' blihand brown ' (blue-brown), Tristrem 
found himself alone on a rocky beach. First he knelt 
and requested Divine protection, after which he ate 
some food which had been left him by the Norwegians, 
and started to journey through a forest, in which he 
encountered two palmers, who told him that he was in 
Cornwall. He offered these men gold to guide him to 
the Court of the king of the country, which they willingly 
undertook to do. On their way the travellers fell in 
with a hunting party of nobles, and Tristrem was 
shocked to see the awkward manner in which the hunts- 
men cut up some stags they had slain. He could not 
restrain his feeling, and disputed with the nobles upon 
the laws of venerie. Then he proceeded to skin a buck 
for their instruction, like a right good forester, and ended 
by blowing the mort or death-token on a horn. 

Tristrem as Forester 

The nobles who beheld his skill were amazed, and 
speedily carried the news to King Mark, who was highly 
interested. Tristrem was brought to his presence and 
told his story, but Mark did not recognize that he was 
speaking to his own nephew. The Kings favourable 
impression was confirmed by Tristrem's skill in playing 
the harp, and soon the youth had endeared himself to the 
heart of the King, and was firmly settled at the Court. 
Meanwhile Rohand, distracted by the loss of his foster- 
son, searched for him from one land to another without 
260 



Tristrem Returns to Ermonie 

even renewing his tattered garments. At last he en- 
countered one of the palmers who had guided Tristrem 
to the Court of King Mark, and learned of the great 
honour accorded to his ward. At Rohand's request the 
palmer took him to Mark's hall ; but when Rohand 
arrived thither his tattered and forlorn appearance 
aroused the contempt of the porter and usher and they 
refused him entrance. Upon bestowing liberal largess, 
however, he was at length brought to Tristrem, who 
presented him to King Mark as his father, acquainting 
him at the same time with the cause of their separa- 
tion. When Rohand had been refreshed by a bath, and 
richly attired by order of King Mark, the whole Court 
marvelled at his majestic appearance. 
Rohand, seated by King Mark's side at the banquet, 
imparted to him the secret of Tristrem's birth, and in 
proof showed him the ring given him by Blancheflour, 
whereupon Mark at once joyfully recognized Tristrem 
as his nephew. Rohand further told of the tragic fate 
of Tristrem's parents through the treachery of Duke 
Morgan, and Tristrem, fired by the tale of wrong, vowed 
to return at once to Ermonie to avenge his father's 
death. 

Tristrem Returns to Ermonie 

Although applauding his pious intention, Mark attempted 
to dissuade his nephew from such an enterprise of peril, 
until, seeing that Tristrem would not be gainsaid, the 
King conferred upon him the honour of knighthood, 
and furnished him with a thousand men-at-arms. Thus 
equipped, Tristrem set sail for Ermonie, and, safely 
arrived in that kingdom, he garrisoned Rohand's castle 
with his Cornish forces. 

261 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

He had no intention of remaining inactive, however, 
and once his men were cared for, he repaired to the Court 
of the usurper, Duke Morgan, accompanied by fifteen 
knights, each bearing a boar's head as a gift. But 
Rohand, apprehending rashness on the part of his foster- 
son, took the precaution of following with the Cornish 
men-at-arms and his own vassals. 

When Tristrem arrived the Duke was at the feast-board, 
and he demanded Tristrem's name and business. 
Tristrem boldly declared himself, and at the end of an 
angry parley the Duke struck him a sore blow. A 
moment later swords were flashing, and it might have 
gone ill with Tristrem had not Rohand with his men 
come up in the nick of time. In the end Duke Morgan 
was slain and his followers routed. Having now 
recovered his paternal domains Sir Tristrem conferred 
them upon Rohand, to be held of himself as liege lord, 
and having done so he took leave of his foster-father and 
returned to Cornwall. 

The Combat with Moraunt 

On arriving at the palace of Mark, Tristrem found the 
Court in dismay, because of a demand for tribute made 
by the King of England. Moraunt, the Irish ambassador 
to England, was charged with the duty of claiming the 
tribute, which was no less than three hundred pounds 
of gold, as many of coined silver, as many of tin, and a 
levy every fourth year of three hundred Cornish children. 
Mark protested bitterly, and Tristrem urged him to bid 
defiance to the English, swearing that he would him- 
self defend the freedom of Cornwall. His aid was 
reluctantly accepted by the Grand Council, and he 
delivered to Moraunt a declaration that no tribute was 
262 



Fytte the Second 

due. Moraunt retorted by giving Tristrem the lie, and 
the champions exchanged defiance. They sailed in 
separate boats to a small island to decide the issue 
in single combat, and when they had landed Tristrem 
turned his boat adrift, saying sternly that one vessel 
would suffice to take back the victor. The champions 
mounted their steeds at the outset, but after the first 
encounter Tristrem, leaping lightly from the saddle, 
engaged his adversary on foot. The Knight of Ermonie 
was desperately wounded in the thigh, but, rallying all 
his strength, he cleft Moraunt to the chine, and, his 
sword splintering, a piece of the blade remained in the 
wound. 

Tristrem now returned to the mainland, where so great 
was the joy over his return that he was appointed 
heir to Cornwall and successor to Mark the Good. 
But his wound, having been inflicted by a poisoned 
blade, grew more grievous day by day. No leech 
might cure it, and the evil odour arising from the 
gangrene drove every one from his presence save his 
faithful servitor Gouvernayl. 

Fytte the Second 

Fytte (or Part) the Second commences by telling how 
Tristrem, forsaken by all, begged King Mark for a ship 
that he might leave the land of Cornwall. Mark re- 
luctantly granted his request, and the luckless Tristrem 
embarked with Gouvernayl, his one attendant, and his 
harp as his only solace. He steered for Caerleon, and 
remained nine weeks at sea, but meeting contrary winds 
he was driven out of his course, and at length came to 
the Irish coast, where he sought the haven of Dublin. 

263 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

On arriving there he feigned that he had been wounded 
by pirates, and learning that he was in Ireland, and 
recollecting that Moraunt, whom he had slain, was the 
brother to the Queen of that land, he thought it wise 
to assume once more the name of Tremtris. 
Soon his fame as a minstrel reached the ears of the 
Queen of Ireland, a lady deeply versed in the art 
of healing. She was, indeed, "the best Couthe of 
Medicine " 1 Tristrem had seen, and in order to heal his 
wound she applied to it "a plaster kene." Later she 
invited him to the Court, where his skill in chess and 
games astonished every one. So interested in him did 
the royal lady become at last that she undertook to cure 
him, and effected her object by means of a medicated 
bath and other medieval remedies. Then, on account 
of his fame as a minstrel, he was given the task of 
instructing the Princess Ysonde — as the name ' Yseult ' 
is written in this particular version. 

This princess was much attached to minstrelsy and 
poetry, and under the tuition of Tristrem she rapidly 
advanced in these arts, until at length she had no equal 
in Ireland save her preceptor. And now Tristrem, his 
health restored, and having completed Ysonde's instruc- 
tion, felt a strong desire to return to the Court of King 
Mark. His request to be allowed to depart was most 
unwillingly granted by the Queen, who at the leave- 
taking loaded him with gifts. With the faithful Gouver- 
nayl he arrived safely in Cornwall, where Mark received 
him joyfully. When the King inquired curiously how his 
wound had been cured, Tristrem told him of the great 
kindness of the Irish Queen, and praised Ysonde so 

1 I.e. had the best knowledge of medicine. Couthe^ from A.S. cunnan 
to know. 

264 



The Marriage Embassy 

highly that the ardour of his uncle was aroused and 
he requested Tristrem to procure him the hand of the 
damsel in marriage. He assured Tristrem that no 
marriage he, the King, might contract would annul the 
arrangement whereby Tristrem was to succeed to the 
throne of Cornwall. The nobles were opposed to 
the King's desires, which but strengthened Tristrem in 
his resolve to undertake the embassage, for he thought 
that otherwise it might appear that he desired the King 
to remain unmarried. 

The Marriage Embassy 

With a retinue of fifteen knights Tristrem sailed to 
Dublin in a ship richly laden with gifts. Arrived at 
the Irish capital, he sent magnificent presents to the 
King, Queen, and Princess, but did not announce the 
nature of his errand. Hardly had his messengers 
departed than he was informed that the people of 
Dublin were panic-stricken at the approach of a terrible 
dragon. This monster had so affrighted the neighbour- 
hood that the hand of the Princess had been offered to 
anyone who would slay it. Tristrem dared his knights 
to attack the dragon, but one and all declined, so he 
himself rode out to give it battle. At the first shock 
his lance broke on the monster's impenetrable hide, his 
horse was slain, and he was forced to continue the fight 
on foot. At length, despite its fiery breath, he suc- 
ceeded in slaying the dragon, and cut out its tongue 
as a trophy. But this exuded a subtle poison which 
deprived him of his senses. 

Thus overcome, Tristrem was discovered by the King's 
steward, who cut off the dragon's head and returned 
with it to Court to demand the hand of Ysonde. But 

265 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

the Queen and her daughter were dubious of the man's 
story, and upon visiting the place where the dragon 
had been slain, they came upon Tristrem himself. 
Their ministrations revived him, and he showed them 
the dragon's tongue as proof that he had slain the dread 
beast. He described himself as a merchant, and Ysonde, 
who did not at first recognize him, expressed her regret 
that he was not a knight. The Queen now caused him 
to be conveyed to the palace, where he was refreshed 
by a bath, and the false steward was cast into prison. 
Meanwhile the suspicions of the Princess had been 
aroused, and the belief grew that this ' merchant ' who 
had slain the dragon was none other than Tremtris, 
her old instructor. In searching for evidence to con- 
firm this conjecture she examined his sword, from 
which, she found, a piece had been broken. Now, she 
possessed a fragment of a sword-blade which had been 
taken out of the skull of Moraunt, her uncle, and she 
discovered that this fragment fitted into the broken 
place in Tristrems sword, wherefore she concluded that 
the weapon must have been that which slew the Irish 
ambassador. She reproached Tristrem, and in her 
passion rushed upon him with his own sword. At 
this instant her mother returned, and upon learning the 
identity of Tristrem she was about to assist Ysonde 
to slay him in his bath when the King arrived and 
saved him from the infuriated women. Tristrem de- 
fended himself as having killed Moraunt in fair fight, 
and, smiling upon Ysonde, he told her that she had had 
many opportunities of slaying him while he was her 
preceptor Tremtris. He then proceeded to make 
known the object of his embassy. He engaged that 
his uncle, King Mark, should marry Ysonde, and it 
266 



The Marriage Embassy 

was agreed that she should be sent under his escort 
to Cornwall. 

It is clear that the Queen's knowledge of medicine was 
accompanied by an acquaintance with the black art, for 
on the eve of her daughter's departure she entrusted 
to Brengwain, a lady of Ysonde's suite, a powerful 
philtre or love potion, with directions that Mark and 
his bride should partake of it on the night of their 
marriage. While at sea the party met with contrary 
winds, and the mariners were forced to take to their 
oars. Tristrem exerted himself in rowing, and Ysonde, 
remarking that he seemed much fatigued, called for 
drink to refresh him. Brengwain, by a fateful error, 
presented the cup which held the love potion. Both 
Tristrem and Ysonde unwittingly partook of this, and 
a favourite dog, Hodain, 

That many a forest day of fiery mirth 
Had plied his craft before them, 1 

licked the cup. The consequence of this mistake was, 
of course, the awakening of a consuming passion each 
for the other in Tristrem and Ysonde. A fortnight 
later the ship arrived at Cornwall. Ysonde was duly 
wed to King Mark, but her passion for Tristrem moved 
her to induce her attendent Brengwain to take her 
place on the first night of her nuptials. 
Afterward, terrified lest Brengwain should disclose 
the secret in her possession, Ysonde hired two ruffians 
to dispatch her. But the damsel's entreaties softened 
the hearts of the assassins and they spared her life. 
Subsequently Ysonde repented of her action and Breng- 
wain was reinstated in full favour. 
1 Swinburne, Tristram of Lyonesse. 

267 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

The Minstrel's Boon 

An Irish earl, a former admirer of Ysonde, arrived one 
day at the Court of Cornwall disguised as a minstrel 
and bearing a harp of curious workmanship, the appear- 
ance of which excited the curiosity of King Mark, who 
requested him to perform upon it. The visitor de- 
manded that the King should first promise to grant 
him a boon, and the King having pledged his royal 
word, the minstrel sang to the harp a lay in which he 
claimed Ysonde as the promised gift. 1 Mark, having 
pledged his honour, had no alternative but to become 
forsworn or to deliver his wife to the harper, and he 
reluctantly complied with the minstrel's demand. Tris- 
trem, who had been away hunting, returned immediately 
after the adventurous earl had departed with his fair 
prize. He upbraided the King for his extravagant 
sense of honour, and, snatching up his rote, or harp, 
hastened to the seashore, where Ysonde had already 
embarked. There he sat down and played, and the 
sound so deeply affected Ysonde that she became 
seriously ill, so that the earl was induced to return with 
her to land. Ysonde pretended that Tristrem's music 
was necessary to her recovery, and the earl, to whom 
Tristrem was unknown, offered to take him in his train 
to Ireland. The earl had dismounted from the horse 
he was riding and was preparing to return on board, 
when Tristrem sprang into the saddle, and, seizing 
Ysonde's horse by the bridle, plunged into the forest. 
Here the lovers remained for a week, after which 
Tristrem restored Ysonde to her husband. 

1 This incident is common in Celtic romance, and seems to have 
been widely used in nearly all medieval literatures. 

268 




TRISTREM AND YSONDE 



268 



Meriadok's Suspicions 

Not unnaturally suspicion was aroused regarding the 
relations between Tristrem and Ysonde. Meriadok, a 
knight of Cornwall, and an intimate friend of Tristrem, 
was perhaps the most suspicious of all, and one snowy- 
evening he traced his friend to Ysonde's bower, to 
which Tristrem gained entrance by a sliding panel. In 
this a piece of Tristrem's green kirtle was left, and 
Meriadok bore the fragment to the King, to whom he 
unfolded his suspicions. To test the truth of these 
Mark pretended that he was going on a pilgrimage to 
the Holy Land, and asked his wife to whose care she 
would wish to be committed. Ysonde at first named 
Tristrem, but on the advice of Brengwain resumed the 
subject later and feigned a mortal hatred for her lover, 
which she ascribed to the scandal she had suffered on 
his account. The fears of the simple Mark were thus 
lulled to sleep ; but those of Meriadok were by no 
means laid at rest. On his advice Mark definitely 
separated the lovers, confining Ysonde to a bower 
and sending Tristrem to a neighbouring city. But 
Tristrem succeeded in communicating with Ysonde 
by means of leafy twigs thrown into the river which 
ran through her garden, and they continued to meet. 
Their interviews were, however, discovered by the aid 
of a dwarf who concealed himself in a tree. One 
night Mark took the dwarf's place, but the lovers 
were made aware of his presence by his shadow and 
pretended to be quarrelling, Tristrem saying that 
Ysonde had supplanted him in the King's affections. 
Mark's suspicions were thus soothed for the time 
being. On another occasion Tristrem was not so 
fortunate, and, being discovered, was forced to flee 
the country. 

269 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 



The Omeal by Fire 

Mark now resolved to test his wife's innocence by the 
dread ordeal by fire, and he journeyed with his Court 
to Westminster, where the trial was to take place. 
Tristrem, disguised as a peasant, joined the retinue, and 
when the party arrived in the Thames he carried 
Ysonde from the ship to the shore. When the moment 
for the ordeal came the Queen protested her innocence, 
saying that no man had ever laid hands upon her save 
the King and the peasant who had carried her from the 
ship. Mark, satisfied by her evident sincerity, refused 
to proceed further with the trial, and Ysonde thus 
escaped the awful test. 

Tristrem then betook him to Wales, and the fame of 
his prowess in that land came at length to Cornwall, so 
that at last his uncle grew heavy at heart for his absence 
and desired sight of him. Once more he returned, but 
his fatal passion for Ysonde was not abated, and be- 
came at length so grievous to the good King that he 
banished both of the lovers from his sight. The two 
fled to a forest, and there dwelt in a cavern, subsisting 
upon venison, the spoil of Tristrem's bow. One day, 
weary with the chase, Tristrem lay down to rest by the 
side of the sleeping Ysonde, placing his drawn sword 
between them. Mark, passing that way, espied them, and 
from the naked sword inferring their innocence, became 
reconciled to them once more. But again suspicion 
fell upon them, and again Tristrem was forced to flee. 

Tristrem in Brittany 

After many adventures in Spain Tristrem arrived in 
Brittany, where he aided the Duke of that country with 
270 



Tristrem in Brittany 

his sword. The Duke's daughter, known as Ysonde 
of the White Hand, hearing him sing one night a song 
of the beauty of Ysonde, thought that Tristrem was in 
love with her. The Duke therefore offered Tristrem 
his daughter's hand, and, in despair of seeing Ysonde 
of Ireland again, he accepted the honour. But on the 
wedding-day the first Ysonde's ring dropped from his 
finger as if reproaching him with infidelity, and in deep 
remorse he vowed that Ysonde of Brittany should be 
his wife in name only. 

Now the Duke of Brittany bestowed on Tristrem a fair 
demesne divided by an arm of the sea from the land of 
a powerful and savage giant named Beliagog, and he 
warned his son-in-law not to incur the resentment of this 
dangerous neighbour. But one day Tristrem's hounds 
strayed into the forest land of Beliagog, and their 
master, following them, was confronted by the wrath- 
ful owner. A long and cruel combat ensued, and at last 
Tristrem lopped off one of the giant's feet. There- 
upon the monster craved mercy, which was granted on 
the condition that he should build a hall in honour of 
Ysonde of Ireland and her maiden, Brengwain. This 
hall was duly raised, and upon its walls was portrayed 
to the life the whole history of Tristrem, with pictures 
of Ysonde of Ireland, Brengwain, Mark, and other 
characters in the tale. Tristrem, the Duke, Ysonde of 
Brittany, and Ganhardin, her brother, were riding to see 
this marvel when Ysonde confessed to Ganhardin that 
Tristrem did not regard her as his wife. Ganhardin, 
angered, questioned Tristrem, who concealed nothing 
from him and recounted to him the story of his love 
for the Queen of Cornwall. Ganhardin was deeply 
interested, and on beholding the picture of Brengwain 

271 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

in the newly erected hall he fell violently in love 
with her. 

The Forest Lovers 

Tristrem now returned to Cornwall with Ganhardin, and 
encountered Ysonde the Queen and the fair Brengwain. 
But one Canados, the King's Constable, discovered 
them and carried the ladies back to Court. Ganhardin 
made the best of his way home to Brittany, but Tristrem 
remained in Cornwall, disguised as a beggar. 
Our story now tells of a great tournament at the Cornish 
Court, and how Ganhardin hied him from Brittany and 
rejoined Tristrem. The two entered the lists and took 
up the challenge of Meriadok and Canados. Tristrem, 
tilting at his old enemy, wounded him desperately. 
The issue of the combat between Canados and Ganhardin 
hung in the balance when Tristrem, charging at the 
Constable, overthrew and slew him. Then, fired with 
the lust of conquest, Tristrem bore down upon his foes 
and exacted a heavy toll of lives. So great was the 
scathe done that day that Tristrem and Ganhardin 
were forced once more to fly to Brittany, where in 
an adventure Tristrem received an arrow in his old 
wound. 

The French Manuscript 

At this point the Auchinleck MS., from which this 
account is taken, breaks off, and the story is concluded, 
in language similar to that of the original, by Sir Walter 
Scott, who got his materials from an old French version 
of the tale. 

We read that Tristrem suffered sorely from his wound, 
in which, as before, gangrene set in. Aware that none 
272 



The French Manuscript 

but Ysonde of Ireland could cure him, the stricken 
knight called Ganhardin to his side and urged him to 
go with all speed to Cornwall and tell the Queen of his 
mortal extremity. He entrusted him with his ring, and 
finally requested the Breton knight to take with him two 
sails, one white and the other black, the first to be 
hoisted upon his return should Ysonde accompany him 
back to Brittany, the sable sail to be raised should his 
embassy fail of success. Now Ysonde of Brittany over- 
heard all that was said, her jealous fears were confirmed, 
and she resolved to be revenged upon her husband. 
Ganhardin voyaged quickly to Cornwall, and arrived at 
the Court of King Mark disguised as a merchant. In 
order to speed his mission he presented rich gifts to the 
King, and also a cup to Ysonde, into which he dropped 
Tristrem's ring. This token procured him a private 
audience with the Queen, and when she learned the 
deadly peril of her lover, Ysonde hastily disguised 
herself and fled to the ship with Ganhardin. In due 
course the vessel arrived off the coast of Brittany, 
carrying the white sail which was to signify to Tristrem 
that Ysonde was hastening to his aid. But Ysonde of 
Brittany was watching, and perceiving from the signal 
that her rival was on board she hurried to her husband's 
couch. Tristrem begged her to tell him the colour of 
the sail, and in the madness of jealousy Ysonde said 
that it was black, upon which, believing himself for- 
saken by his old love, the knight sank back and 
expired. 

Tristrem had scarce breathed his last when Ysonde 
entered the castle. At the gate an old man was 
mourning Tristrem's death, and hearing the ominous 
words which he uttered she hastened to the chamber 



s 



273 



Legends &> Romances of Brittany 

where the corpse of him she had loved so well was 
lying. With a moan she cast herself upon the body, 
covering the dead face with kisses and pleading upon 
the silent lips to speak. Realizing at last that the spirit 
had indeed quitted its mortal tenement, she raised 
herself to her feet and stood for a moment gazing wildly 
into the fixed and glassy eyes ; then with a great cry 
she fell forward upon the breast of her lover and was 
united with him in death. 

Other versions of the story, with all the wealth of 
circumstance dear to the writer of romance, tell of the 
grievous mourning made at the death of the lovers, 
whom no fault of their own had doomed to the tyranny 
of a mutual passion, and it is recounted that even King 
Mark, wronged and shamed as he was, was unable to 
repress his grief at their pitiful end. 
Despite the clumsiness of much of its machinery, despite 
its tiresome repetitions and its minor blemishes, this 
tale of a grand passion must ever remain one of the 
world's priceless literary possessions. " Dull must he 
be of soul " who, even in these days when folk no longer 
expire from an excess of the tender passion, can fail to 
be moved by the sad fate of the fair Queen and of her 
gallant minstrel-knight. 

Swiche lovers als thei 
Never schal be moe. 

And so they take their place with Hero and Leander, 
with Abelard and Heloise, with Romeo and Juliet. 
It would be unfitting here to tell how mythology 
has claimed the story of Tristrem and Ysonde and has 
attempted to show in what manner the circumstances 
of their lives and adventures have been adapted to the 
274 



The Giant of Mont-Saint-Michel 

old world-wide myth of the progress of the sun from 
dawn to darkness. 1 The evidence seems very complete, 
and the theory is probably well founded. The circum- 
stances of the great epic of the sun-god fits most 
hero-tales. And it is well to recollect that even if 
romance-makers seized upon the plot of the old myth 
they did so unconscious of its mythic significance, and 
probably because it may have been employed in the 
heroic literature of " Rome la grant." 

The Giant of Mont-Sain t-Michel 
It was when he arrived in Brittany to ward off the 
projected invasion of England by the Roman Emperor 
Lucius that King Arthur encountered and slew a giant 
of " marvellous bigness" at St Michael's Mount, near 
Pontorson. This monster, who had come from Spain, 
had made his lair on the summit of the rocky island, 
whither he had carried oft the Lady Helena, niece of 
Duke Hoel of Brittany. Many were the knights who 
surrounded the giant's fastness, but none might come 
at him, for when they attacked him he would sink their 
ships by hurling mighty boulders upon them, while 
those who succeeded in swimming to the island were 
slain by him ere they could get a proper footing. But 
Arthur, undismayed by what he had heard, waited until 
nightfall ; then, when all were asleep, with Kay the 
seneschal and Bedivere the butler, he started on his 
way to the Mount. 

As the three approached the rugged height they beheld 
a fire blazing brightly on its summit, and saw also that 
upon a lesser eminence in the sea some distance away 
a smaller fire was burning. Bedivere was dispatched 
1 See Rev. Sir G. W. Cox, Introduction to Mythology, p. 326 ff. 

275 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

in a boat to discover who had lit the fire on the smaller 
island. Having landed there, he found an old woman 
lamenting loudly. 

"Good mother," said he, " wherefore do you mourn? 
What has befallen you in this place that you weep so 
sorely ? " 

' ' Ah, young sir," replied the dame, drying her tears, 
"get thee back from this place, I beseech thee, for as 
thou livest the monster who inhabits yonder mount will 
rend thee limb from limb and sup on thy flesh. But 
yesterday I was the nurse of the fair Helena, niece to 
Duke Hoel, who lies buried here by me." 
"Alas! then, the lady is no more?" cried Bedivere, in 
distress. 

" So it is," replied the old woman, weeping more bitterly 
than ever, " for when that accursed giant did seize upon 
her terror did so overcome her that her spirit took flight. 
But tarry not on this dread spot, noble youth, for if her 
fierce slayer should encounter thee he will put thee to a 
shameful death, and afterward devour thee as is his wont 
with all those whom he kills." 

Bedivere comforted the old woman as best he might, 
and, returning to Arthur, told him what he had heard. 
Now on hearing of the damsel's death great anger took 
hold upon the King, so that he resolved to search out 
the giant forthwith and slay or be slain by him. Desiring 
Kay and Bedivere to follow, he dismounted and com- 
menced to climb St Michael's Mount, closely attended 
by his companions. 

On reaching the summit a gruesome spectacle awaited 
them. The great fire that they had seen in the distance 
was blazing fiercely, and bending over it was the giant, 
his cruel and contorted features besmeared with the 

276 



KING ARTHUR AND THE GIANT OF MONT-SAINT-MICHEL 



The Giant of Mont-Saint-Michel 



blood of swine, portions of which he was toasting on 
spits. Startled at the sight of the knights, the monster 
rushed to where his club lay. This purpose Arthur 
deemed he might prevent, and, covering himself with 
his shield, he ran at him while yet he fumbled for the 
weapon. But with all his agility he was too late, for 
the giant seized the mighty sapling and, whirling it in 
the air, brought it down on the King's shield with such 
force that the sound of the stroke echoed afar. Nothing 
daunted, Arthur dealt a trenchant stroke with Excalibur, 
and gave the giant a cut on the forehead which made the 
blood gush forth over his eyes so as nearly to blind him. 
But shrewd as was the blow, the giant had warded his 
forehead with his club in such wise that he had not 
received a deadly wound, and, watching his chance with 
great cunning, he rushed in within the sweep of Arthur's 
sword, gripped him round the middle, and forced him 
to the ground. 

Iron indeed would have been the grasp which could 
have held a knight so doughty as Arthur. Slipping 
from the monster's clutches, the King hacked at his 
adversary now in one place, now in another, till at 
length he smote the giant so mightily that Excalibur 
was buried deep in his brain-pan. The giant fell like 
an oak torn up by the roots in the fury of the winds. 
Rushing up as he crashed to the earth, Sir Bedivere 
struck off the hideous head, grinning in death, to be 
a show to those in the tents below. 

" But let them behold it in silence and without laughter," 
the King charged Sir Bedivere, "for never since I slew 
the giant Ritho upon Mount Eryri have I encountered 
so mighty an adversary." 

And so they returned to their tents with daybreak. 

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Legends @P Romances of Brittany 

A Doubting Thomas 

It is strange to think that Brittany, one of the cradles 
of Arthurian legend, could have produced a disbeliever 
in that legend so early as the year of grace 1113. 
It is on record that some monks from Brittany 
journeyed to England in that year, and were shown 
by the men of Devon " the chair and the oven of that 
King Arthur renowned in the stories of the Britons." 
They passed on to Cornwall, and when, in the church 
at Bodmin, one of their servants dared to question 
the statement of a certain Cornishman that Arthur 
still lived, he received such a buffet for his temerity 
that a small riot ensued. 1 Does not this seem to be 
evidence that the legend was more whole-heartedly 
believed in in the Celtic parts of England, and was 
therefore more exclusively native to those parts than 
to Continental Brittany ? The Cornish allegiance to 
the memory of Arthur seems to have left little to be 
desired. 

Arthur and the Dragon 

The manner in which Arthur slew a dragon at the Lieue 
de Greve, and at the same time made the acquaintance 
of St Efflam of Ireland, is told by Albert le Grand, 
monk of Morlaix. Arthur had been sojourning at the 
Court of Hoel, Duke of Armorica, and, having freed 
his own land of dragons and other monsters, was en- 
gaged in hunting down the great beasts with which 
Armorica abounded. But the monster which infested 
the Lieue de Greve was no ordinary dragon. Indeed, 

1 See Zimmer, Zeitschrift fur Franzdsische Sprache und Literatur, xii, 
pp. 106 ff. 

278 



Arthur and the Dragon 

he was the most cunning saurian in Europe, and was 
wont to retire backward into the great cavern in which 
he lived so that when traced to it those who tracked 
him would believe that he had just quitted it. 
In this manner he succeeded in deceiving Arthur and 
his knights, who for days lingered in the vicinity of 
his cave in the hope of encountering him. One day 
as they stood on the seashore waiting for the dragon 
a sail hove in sight, and soon a large coracle made of 
wicker-work covered with skins appeared. The vessel 
grounded and its occupants leapt ashore, headed by 
a young man of princely mien, who advanced toward 
Arthur and saluted him courteously. 
" Fair sir," he said, "to what shore have I come? I 
am Efflam, the King's son, of Ireland. The winds 
have driven us out of our course, and full long have 
we laboured in the sea." 

Now when Arthur heard the young man's name he 
embraced him heartily. 

" Welcome, cousin," he said. "You are in the land 
of Brittany. I am Arthur of Britain, and I rejoice at 
this meeting, since it may chance from it that I can 
serve you." 

Then Efflam told Arthur the reason of his voyaging. 
He had been wed to the Princess Enora, daughter of 
a petty king of Britain, but on his wedding night a 
strong impulse had come upon him to leave all and 
make his penitence within some lonely wood, where he 
could be at peace from the world. Rising from beside 
his sleeping wife, he stole away, and rousing several 
trusty servitors he set sail from his native shores. 
Soon his frail craft was caught in a tempest, and after 
many days driven ashore as had been seen. 

279 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

Arthur marvelled at the impulse which had prompted 
Efflam to seek retirement, and was about to express his 
surprise when the youth startled him by telling him 
that as his vessel had approached the shore he and his 
men had caught sight of the dragon entering his cave. 
At these words Arthur armed himself without delay 
with his sword Excalibur and his lance Ron, and, 
followed by his knights and by Efflam, drew near the 
cavern. As he came before the entrance the dragon 
issued forth, roaring in so terrible a manner that all but 
the King were daunted and drew back. The creature's 
appearance was fearsome in the extreme. He had one 
red eye in the centre of his forehead, his shoulders 
were covered with green scales like plates of mail, his 
long, powerful tail was black and twisted, and his vast 
mouth was furnished with tusks like those of a wild 
boar. 

Grim and great was the combat. For three days did 
it rage, man and beast struggling through the long 
hours for the mastery which neither seemed able to 
obtain. At the end of that time the dragon retired for 
a space into his lair, and Arthur, worn out and well- 
nigh broken by the long-drawn strife, threw himself 
down beside Efflam in a state of exhaustion. 
" A draught of water, fair cousin," he cried in a choking 
voice. " I perish with thirst." 

But no water was to be found in that place save that of 
the salt sea which lapped the sands of Greve. Efflam, 
however, was possessed of a faith that could overcome 
all difficulties. Kneeling, he engaged in earnest prayer, 
and, arising, struck the hard rock three times with his 
rod. "Our blessed Lord will send us water," he ex- 
claimed, and no sooner had he spoken than from the 
280 



Arthur and the Dragon 

stone a fountain of pure crystal water gushed and 
bubbled. 

With a cry of ecstasy Arthur placed his lips to the 
stream and quaffed the much-needed refreshment. His 
vigour restored, he was about to return to the dragon's 
cavern to renew the combat when he was restrained 
by Efflam. 

" Cousin," said he of Ireland, "you have tried what can 
be done by force ; now let us see what can be achieved 
by prayer." 

Arthur, marvelling and humbled, sat near the young 
man as he prayed. All night he was busied in devo- 
tions, and at sunrise he arose and walked boldly to the 
mouth of the cavern. 

" Thou spawn of Satan," he cried, " in the name of God 
I charge thee to come forth ! " 

A noise as of a thousand serpents hissing in unison 
followed this challenge, and from out his lair trailed the 
great length of the dragon, howling and vomiting fire 
and blood. Mounting to the summit of a neighbouring 
rock, he vented a final bellow and then cast himself into 
the sea. The blue water was disturbed as by a mael- 
strom ; then all was peace again. 

So perished the dragon of the Lieue de Greve, and 
so was proved the superiority of prayer over human 
strength and valour. St Efflam and his men settled on 
the spot as hermits, and were miraculously fed by angels. 
Efflam's wife, Enora, was borne to him by angels in 
that place, only to die when she had joined him. And 
when they came to tell Efflam that his new-found lady 
was no more and was lying cold in the cell he had 
provided for her, their news fell on deaf ears, for he too 
had passed away. He is buried in Plestin Church, and 

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Legends Romances of Brittany 

his effigy, standing triumphant above an open-mouthed 
dragon, graces one of its many niches. 

The Isle of Avalon 

The Bretons believe that an island off Tr^gastel, on 
the coast of the department of Cdtes-du-Nord, is the 
fabled Isle of Avalon to which King Arthur, sore 
wounded after his last battle, was borne to be healed of 
his hurts. With straining eyes the fisherman watches 
the mist-wrapped islet, and, peering through the 
evening haze, cheats himself into the belief that giant 
forms are moving upon its shores and that spectral 
shapes flit across its sands — that the dark hours bring 
back the activities of the attendant knights and enchant- 
resses of the mighty hero of Celtdom, who, refreshed by 
his long repose, will one day return to the world of 
men and right the great wrongs which afflict humanity. 



282 



CHAPTER XI : THE BRETON LAYS 
OF MARIE DE FRANCE 



HE wonderful Lais of Marie de France must 



ever hold a deep interest for all students of 



A Breton lore, for though cast in the literary 
mould of Norman- French and breathing the spirit of 
Norman chivalry those of them which deal with Brittany 
(as do most of them) exhibit such evident marks of 
having been drawn from native Breton sources that we 
may regard them as among the most valuable documents 
extant for the study and consideration of Armorican 
story. 

Of the personal history of Marie de France very little 
is known. The date and place of her birth are still 
matters for conjecture, and until comparatively recent 
times literary antiquaries were doubtful even as to 
which century she nourished in. In the epilogue to 
her Fables she states that she is a native of the Ile-de- 
France, but despite this she is believed to have been of 
Norman origin, and also to have lived the greater part 
of her life in England. Her work, which holds few 
suggestions of Anglo-Norman forms of thought or 
expression, was written in a literary dialect that in all 
likelihood was widely estranged from the common 
Norman tongue, and from this (though the manuscripts 
in which they are preserved are dated later) we may 
judge her poems to have been composed in the second 
half of the twelfth century. The prologue of her Lais 
contains a dedication to some unnamed king, and her 
Fables are inscribed to a certain Count William, circum- 
stances which are held by some to prove that she was 
of noble origin and not merely a trouvere from necessity. 




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Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

Until M. Gaston Paris decided that this mysterious 
king was Henry II of England, and that the 'Count 
William ' was Longsword, Earl of Salisbury, Henry's 
natural son by the ' Fair Rosamond,' the mysterious 
monarch was believed to be Henry III. It is highly 
probable that the Lais were actually written at the 
Court of Henry II, though the 'King' of the flowery 
prologue is hardly reconcilable with the stern ruler and 
law-maker of history. Be that as it may, Marie's poems 
achieved instant success. " Her rhyme is loved every- 
where," says Denis Pyramus, the author of a life of 
St Edmund the King ; " for counts, barons, and knights 
greatly admire it and hold it dear. And they love her 
writing so much, and take such pleasure in it, that they 
have it read, and often copied. These Lays are wont 
to please ladies, who listen to them with delight, for 
they are after their own hearts." This fame and its 
attendant adulation were very sweet to Marie, and she 
was justly proud of her work, which, inspired, as she her- 
self distinctly states, by the lays she had heard Breton 
minstrels sing, has, because of its vivid colouring and 
human appeal, survived the passing of seven hundred 
years. The scenes of the tales are laid in Brittany, and 
we are probably correct in regarding them as culled from 
original traditional material. As we proceed with the 
telling of these ancient stories we shall endeavour to point 
out the essentially Breton elements they have retained. 

The Lay of the Were-JVolf 

In the long ago there dwelt in Brittany a worshipful 
baron, for whom the king of that land had a warm 
affection, and who was happy in the esteem of his peers 
and the love of his beautiful wife. 

*84 



The Lay of the Were-Wolf 

One only grief had his wife in her married life, and that 
was the mysterious absence of her husband for three 
days in every week. Where he disappeared to neither 
she nor any member of her household knew. These 
excursions preyed upon her mind, so that at last she 
resolved to challenge him regarding them. 
" Husband," she said to him pleadingly one day after 
he had just returned from one of these absences, " I 
have something to ask of you, but I fear that my request 
may vex you, and for this reason I hesitate to make it." 
The baron took her in his arms and, kissing her tenderly, 
bade her state her request, which he assured her would 
by no means vex him. 

" It is this," she said, " that you will trust me sufficiently 
to tell me where you spend those days when you are 
absent from me. So fearful have I become regarding 
these withdrawals and all the mystery that enshrouds 
them that I know neither rest nor comfort ; indeed, so 
distraught am I at times that I feel I shall die for very 
anxiety. Oh, husband, tell me where you go and why 
you tarry so long ! " 

In great agitation the husband put his wife away from 
him, not daring to meet the glance of her imploring, 
anxious eyes. 

" For the mercy of God, do not ask this of me," he 
besought her. " No good could come of your knowing, 
only great and terrible evil. Knowledge would mean 
the death of your love for me, and my everlasting 
desolation." 

" You are jesting with me, husband," she replied ; " but 
it is a cruel jest. I am all seriousness, I do assure you. 
Peace of mind can never be mine until my question is 
fully answered." 

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Legends & Romances of Brittany 

But the baron, still greatly perturbed, remained firm. 
He could not tell her, and she must rest content with 
that. The lady, however, continued to plead, some- 
times with tenderness, more often with tears and heart- 
piercing reproaches, until at length the baron, trusting 
to her love, decided to tell her his secret. 
" I have to leave you because periodically I become a 
bisclaveret," he said. (' Bisclaveret' is the Breton name 
for were-wolf.) " I hide myself in the depths of the 
forest, live on wild animals and roots, and go unclad as 
any beast of the field." 

When the lady had recovered from the horror of this 
disclosure and had rallied her senses to her aid, she 
turned to him again, determined at any cost to learn 
all the circumstances connected with this terrible 
transformation. 

" You know that I love you better than all the world, 
my husband," she began; "that never in our life to- 
gether have I done aught to forfeit your love or your 
trust. So do, I beseech you, tell me all — tell me where 
you hide your clothing before you become a were- 
wolf?" 

"That I dare not do, dear wife," he replied, "for if I 
should lose my raiment or even be seen quitting it I 
must remain a were-wolf so long as I live. Never again 
could I become a man unless my garments were restored 
to me." 

"Then you no longer trust me, no longer love me?'' 
she cried. "Alas, alas that I have forfeited your 
confidence ! Oh that I should live to see such a 
day ! " 

Her weeping broke out afresh, this time more piteously 
than before. The baron, deeply touched, and willing 

286 



The Lay of the Were-Wolf 

by any means to alleviate her distress, at last divulged 
the vital secret which he had held from her so long. 
But from that hour his wife cast about for ways and 
means to rid herself of her strange husband, of whom 
she now went in exceeding fear. In course of time she 
remembered a knight of that country who had long 
sought her love, but whom she had repulsed. To him 
she appealed, and right gladly and willingly he pledged 
himself to aid her. She showed him where her lord 
concealed his clothing, and begged him to spoil the 
were-wolf of his vesture on the next occasion on which 
he set out to assume his transformation. The fatal 
period soon returned. The baron disappeared as usual, 
but this time he did not return to his home. For days 
friends, neighbours, and menials sought him diligently, 
but no trace of him was to be found, and when a year 
had elapsed the search was at length abandoned, and 
the lady was wedded to her knight. 

Some months later the King was hunting in the great 
forest near the missing baron's castle. The hounds, 
unleashed, came upon the scent of a wolf, and pressed 
the animal hard. For many hours they pursued him, 
and when about to seize him, Bisclaveret — for it was 
he — turned with such a human gesture of despair to the 
King, who had ridden hard upon his track, that the 
royal huntsman was moved to pity. To the King's 
surprise the were-wolf placed its paws together as if 
in supplication, and its great jaws moved as if in 
speech. 

"Call off the hounds," cried the monarch to his atten- 
dants. "This quarry we will take alive to our palace. 
It is too marvellous a thing to be killed." 
Accordingly they returned to the Court, where the 

287 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

were-wolf became an object of the greatest curiosity to 
all. So frolicsome yet so gentle was he that he became 
a universal favourite. At night he slept in the King's 
room, and by day he followed him with all the dumb 
faithfulness of a dog. The King was extremely at- 
tached to him, and never permitted his shaggy favourite 
to be absent from his side for a moment. 
One day the monarch held a high Court, to which his 
great vassals and barons and all the lords of his broad 
demesnes were bidden. Among them came the knight 
who had wed the wife of Bisclaveret. Immediately 
upon sight of him the were-wolf flew at him with a 
savage joy that astonished those accustomed to his 
usual gentleness and docility. So fierce was the attack 
that the knight would have been killed had not the 
King intervened to save him. Later, in the royal 
hunting-lodge she who had been the wife of Bisclaveret 
came to offer the King a rich present. When he saw 
her the animal's rage knew no bounds, and despite 
all restraint he succeeded in mutilating her fair face 
in the most frightful manner. But for a certain wise 
counsellor this act would have cost Bisclaveret his life. 
This sagacious person, who knew of the animal's 
customary docility, insisted that some evil must have 
been done him. 

"There must be some reason why this beast holds 
these twain in such mortal hate," he said. " Let this 
woman and her husband be brought hither so that they 
may be straitly questioned. She was once the wife of 
one who was near to your heart, and many marvellous 
happenings have ere this come out of Brittany." 
The King hearkened to this sage counsel, for he loved 
the were-wolf, and was loath to have him slain. Under 
288 



THE WERE-WOLF 



The Were-Wolf Superstition 

pressure of examination Bisclaveret's treacherous wife 
confessed all that she had done, adding that in her 
heart she believed the King's favourite animal to be 
no other than her former husband. 

Instantly on learning this the King demanded the 
were-wolfs vesture from the treacherous knight her 
lover, and when this was brought to him he caused 
it to be spread before the wolf. But the animal behaved 
as though he did not see the garments. 
Then the wise counsellor again came to his aid. 
" You must take the beast to your own secret chamber, 
sire," he told the King; "for not without great shame 
and tribulation can he become a man once more, and 
this he dare not suffer in the sight of all." 
This advice the King promptly followed, and when 
after some little time he, with two lords of his fellow- 
ship in attendance, re-entered the secret chamber, he 
found the wolf gone, and the baron so well beloved 
asleep in his bed. 

With great joy and affection the King aroused his 
friend, and when the baron's feelings permitted him 
he related his adventures. As soon as his master had 
heard him out he not only restored to him all that had 
been taken from him, but added gifts the number and 
richness of which rendered him more wealthy and 
important than ever, while in just anger he banished 
from his realm the wife who had betrayed her lord, 
together with her lover. 

The Were- Wolf Superstition 

The were-wolf superstition is, or was, as prevalent in 
Brittany as in other parts of France and Europe. The 
term 'were-wolf literally means 'man-wolf,' and was 

t 289 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

applied to a man supposed to be temporarily or per- 
manently transformed into a wolf. In its origins the 
belief may have been a phase of lycanthropy, a disease 
in which the sufferer imagines himself to have been 
transformed into an animal, and in ancient and medieval 
times of very frequent occurrence. It may, on the 
other hand, be a relic of early cannibalism. Communities 
of semi-civilized people would begin to shun those who 
devoured human flesh, and they would in time be 
ostracized and classed with wild beasts, the idea that they 
had something in common with these would grow, and 
the belief that they were able to transform themselves 
into veritable animals would be likely to arise therefrom. 
There were two kinds of were-wolf, voluntary and 
involuntary. The voluntary included those persons 
who because of their taste for human flesh had with- 
drawn from intercourse with their fellows, and who 
appeared to possess a certain amount of magical power, 
or at least sufficient to permit them to transform them- 
selves into animal shape at will. This they effected 
by merely disrobing, by taking off a girdle made of 
human skin, or putting on a similar belt of wolf-skin 
(obviously a later substitute for an entire wolf-skin ; in 
some cases we hear of their donning the skin entire). 
In other instances the body was rubbed with magic 
ointment, or rain-water was drunk out of a wolfs 
footprint. The brains of the animal were also eaten. 
Olaus Magnus says that the were-wolves of Livonia 
drained a cup of beer on initiation, and repeated certain 
magical words. In order to throw off the wolf-shape 
the animal girdle was removed, or else the magician 
merely muttered certain formulae. In some instances the 
transformation was supposed to be the work of Satan. 
290 



The Were-Wolf Superstition 

The superstition regarding were - wolves seems to 
have been exceedingly prevalent in France during the 
sixteenth century, and there is evidence of numerous 
trials of persons accused of were-wolfism, in some of 
which it was clearly shown that murder and cannibalism 
had taken place. Self-hallucination was accountable 
for many of the cases, the supposed were-wolves declar- 
ing that they had transformed themselves and had slain 
many people. But about the beginning of the seven- 
teenth century native common sense came to the rescue, 
and such confessions were not credited. In Teutonic 
and Slavonic countries it was complained by men of 
learning that the were-wolves did more damage than 
real wild animals, and the existence of a regular 'college' 
or institution for the practice of the art of animal trans- 
formation among were-wolves was affirmed. 
Involuntary were-wolves, of which class Bisclaveret was 
evidently a member, were often persons transformed 
into animal shape because of the commission of sin, 
and condemned to pass a certain number of years in 
that form. Thus certain saints metamorphosed sinners 
into wolves. In Armenia it was thought that a sinful 
woman was condemned to pass seven years in the form 
of a wolf. To such a woman a demon appeared, bringing 
a wolf-skin. He commanded her to don it, and from 
that moment she became a wolf, with all the nature of 
the wild beast, devouring her own children and those 
of strangers, and wandering forth at night, undeterred 
by locks, bolts, or bars, returning only with the morning 
to resume her human form. 

In was, of course, in Europe, where the wolf was 
one of the largest carnivorous animals, that the were- 
wolf superstition chiefly gained currency. In Eastern 

291 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

countries, where similar beliefs prevailed, bears, tigers, 
and other beasts of prey were substituted for the lupine 
form of colder climes. 

The Lay of Gugemar 

Oridial was one of the chief barons of King Arthur, and 
dwelt in Brittany, where he held lands in fief of that 
monarch. So deeply was he attached to his liege lord 
that when his son Gugemar was yet a child he sent him 
to Arthur's Court to be trained as a page. In due time 
Arthur dubbed Gugemar knight and armed him in rich 
harness, and the youth, hearing of war in Flanders, set 
out for that realm in the hope of gaining distinction and 
knightly honour. 

After achieving many valorous deeds in Flanders 
Gugemar felt a strong desire to behold his parents 
once more, so, setting his face homeward, he journeyed 
back to Brittany and dwelt with them for some time, 
resting after his battles and telling his father, mother, 
and sister Nogent of the many enterprises in which he 
had been engaged. But he shortly grew weary of this 
inactive existence, and in order to break the mono- 
tony of it he planned a great hunt in the neighbouring 
forest. 

Early one morning he set out, and soon a tall stag was 
roused from its bed among the ferns by the noise of the 
hunters' horns. The hounds were unleashed and the 
entire hunt followed in pursuit, Gugemar the foremost 
of all. But, closely as he pursued, the quarry eluded 
the knight, and to his chagrin he was left alone in the 
forest spaces with nothing to show for his long chase. 
He was about to ride back in search of his companions 
when on a sudden he noticed a doe hiding in a thicket 
292 



The Lay of Gugemar 

with her fawn. She was white from ear to hoof, 
without a spot. Gugemar's hounds, rushing at her, 
held her at bay, and their master, fitting an arrow to 
his bow, loosed the shaft at her so that she was 
wounded above the hoof and brought to earth. But 
the treacherous arrow, glancing, returned to Gugemar 
and wounded him grievously in the thigh. 
As he lay on the earth faint and with his senses almost 
deserting him, Gugemar heard the doe speak to him in 
human accents : 

" Wretch who hast slain me," said she, "think not to 
escape my vengeance. Never shall leech nor herb nor 
balm cure the wound which fate hath so justly inflicted 
upon thee. Only canst thou be healed by a woman 
who loves thee, and who for that love shall have to 
suffer such woe and sorrow as never woman had to 
endure before. Thou too shalt suffer equally with her, 
and the sorrows of ye twain shall be the wonder of 
lovers for all time. Leave me now to die in peace." 
Gugemar was in sore dismay at hearing these words, 
for never had he sought lady's love nor had he cared 
for the converse of women. Winding his horn, he 
succeeded in attracting one of his followers to the spot, 
and sent him in search of his companions. When he 
had gone Gugemar tore his linen shirt in pieces and 
bound up his wound as well as he might. Then, drag- 
ging himself most painfully into the saddle, he rode 
from the scene of his misadventure at as great a pace 
as his injury would permit of, for he had conceived 
a plan which he did not desire should be interfered 
with. 

Riding at a hand-gallop, he soon came in sight of tall 
cliffs which overlooked the sea, and which formed a 

293 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

natural harbour, wherein lay a vessel richly beseen. 
Its sails were of spun silk, and each plank and mast was 
fashioned of ebony. Dismounting, Gugemar made his 
way to the shore, and with much labour climbed upon 
the ship. Neither mariner nor merchant was therein. 
A large pavilion of silk covered part of the deck, and 
within this was a rich bed, the work of the cunning 
artificers of the days of King Solomon. It was 
fashioned of cypress wood and ivory, and much gold 
and many gems went to the making of it. The clothes 
with which it was provided were fair and white as snow, 
and so soft the pillow that he who laid his head upon 
it, sad as he might be, could not resist sleep. The 
pavilion was lit by two large waxen candles, set in 
candlesticks of gold. 

As the knight sat gazing at this splendid couch fit for a 
king he suddenly became aware that the ship was mov- 
ing seaward. Already, indeed, he was far from land, 
and at the sight he grew more sorrowful than before, 
for his hurt made him helpless and he could not hope 
either to guide the vessel or manage her so that he 
might return to shore. Resigning himself to circum- 
stances, he lay down upon the ornate bed and sank into 
a deep and dreamless slumber. 

When he awoke he found to his intense surprise that 
the ship had come to the port of an ancient city. Now 
the king of this realm was an aged man who was 
wedded to a young, fair lady, of whom he was, after the 
manner of old men, intensely jealous. The castle of 
this monarch frowned upon a fair garden enclosed from 
the sea by a high wall of green marble, so that if one 
desired to come to the castle he must do so from the 
water. The place was straitly watched by vigilant 

294 




GUGEMAR COMES UPON THE MAGIC SHIP 



294 



The Lay of Gugemar 

warders, and within the wall so carefully defended lay 
the Queen's bower, a fairer chamber than any beneath 
the sun, and decorated with the most marvellous paint- 
ings. Here dwelt the young Queen with one of her 
ladies, her own sister's child, who was devoted to her 
service and who never quitted her side. The key of 
this bower was in the hands of an aged priest, who was 
also the Queen's servitor. 

One day on awaking from sleep the Queen walked in 
the garden and espied a ship drawing near the land. 
Suddenly, she knew not why, she grew very fearful, 
and would have fled at the sight, but her maiden en- 
couraged her to remain. The vessel came to shore, 
and the Queen's maiden entered it. No one could she 
see on board except a knight sleeping soundly within 
the pavilion, and he was so pale that she thought he 
was dead. Returning to her mistress, she told her what 
she had seen, and together they entered the vessel. 
No sooner did the Queen behold Gugemar than she was 
deeply smitten with love for him. In a transport of fear 
lest he were dead she placed her hand upon his bosom, 
and was overjoyed to feel the warmth of life within 
him and that his heart beat strongly. At her touch 
he awoke and courteously saluted her. She asked 
him whence he came and to what nation he belonged. 
" Lady," he replied, " I am a knight of Brittany. But 
yesterday, or so it seems to me, for I may have 
slumbered more than a day, I wounded a deer in the 
forest, but the arrow with which I slew her rebounded 
and struck me sorely. Then the beast, being, I trow, 
a fairy deer, spake, saying that never would this wound 
be healed save by one damsel in the whole world, and 
her I know not where to find. Riding seaward, I came 

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Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

to where this ship lay moored, and, entering it, the 
vessel drifted oceanward. I know not to what land I 
have come, nor what name this city bears. I pray you, 
fair lady, give me your best counsel." 
The Queen listened to his tale with the deepest interest, 
and when Gugemar made his appeal for aid and counsel 
she replied: " Truly, fair sir, I shall counsel you as best 
I may. This city to which you have come belongs to 
my husband, who is its King. Of much worship is he, 
but stricken in years, and because of the jealousy he 
bears me he has shut me up between these high walls. 
If it please you you may tarry here awhile and we will 
tend your wound until it be healed." 
Gugemar, wearied and bewildered at the strange things 
which had happened to him in the space of a day, 
thanked the Queen, and accepted her kind offer of 
entertainment with alacrity. Between them the Queen 
and her lady assisted him to leave the ship and bore 
him to a chamber, where he was laid in a fair bed 
and had his wound carefully dressed. When the ladies 
had withdrawn and the knight was left to himself he 
knew that he loved the Queen. All memory of his 
home and even of his tormenting wound disappeared, 
and he could brood only upon the fair face of the royal 
lady who had so charmingly ministered to him. 
Meanwhile the Queen was in little better case. All 
night she could not sleep for pondering upon the hand- 
some youth who had come so mysteriously into her life, 
and her maiden, seeing this, and marking how she 
suffered, went to Gugemar's chamber and told him in 
a frank and almost childlike manner how deeply her 
mistress had been smitten with love for him. 
" You are young," she said, "so is my lady. Her lord 
296 



The Lay of Gugemar 

is old and their union is unseemly. Heaven intended 
you for one another and has brought you together in 
its own good time." 

Shortly, after she had heard Mass, the Queen summoned 
Gugemar into her presence. At first both were dumb 
with confusion. At last his passion urged Gugemar to 
speak, and his love-words came thick and fast. The 
Queen hearkened to them, and, feeling that they rang 
true, admitted that she loved him in return. 
For a year and a half Gugemar dwelt in the Queen's 
bower. Then the lovers met with misfortune. 
For some days before the blow fell the Queen had 
experienced a feeling of coming evil. So powerfully 
did this affect her that she begged Gugemar for a 
garment of his. The knight marvelled at the request, 
and asked her playfully for what reason she desired such 
a keepsake as a linen shift. 

" Friend," she replied, "if it chance that you leave me 
or that we are separated I shall fear that some other 
damsel may win your love. In this shift which you 
give me I shall make a knot, and shall ask you to vow 
that never will you give your love to dame or damsel 
who cannot untie this knot." 

The knight complied with her request, and she made 
such a cunning knot in the garment as only she could 
unravel. For his part Gugemar gave the Queen a 
wonderfully fashioned girdle which only he could unclasp, 
and he begged her that she would never grant her love 
to any man who could not free her from it. Each 
promised the other solemnly to respect the vows they 
had made. 

That same day their hidden love was discovered. A 
chamberlain of the King's observed them through a 

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Legends & Romances of Brittany 

window of the Queens bower, and, hastening to his 
master, told him what he had seen. In terrible wrath the 
King called for his guards, and, coming upon the lovers 
unaware, commanded them to slay Gugemar at once. 
But the knight seized upon a stout rod of fir-wood on 
which linen was wont to be dried, and faced those who 
would slay him so boldly that they fell back in dismay. 
The King questioned him as to his name and lineage, 
and Gugemar fearlessly related his story. The King 
was incredulous at first, but said that could the ship 
be found in which Gugemar had arrived he would 
place him upon it and send him once more out to sea. 
After search had been made the vessel was found, 
and Gugemar was placed on it, the ship began to move, 
and soon the knight was well at sea. 
Ere long the ship came to that harbour whence she 
had first sailed, and as Gugemar landed he saw to his 
surprise one of his own vassals holding a charger and 
accompanied by a knight. Mounting the steed, Guge- 
mar swiftly rode home, where he was received with 
every demonstration of joy. But though his parents 
and friends did everything possible to make him happy, 
the memory of the fair Queen who had loved him 
was ever with him night and day, so that he might 
not be solaced by game or tilting, the chase or the 
dance. In vain those who wished him well urged him 
to take a wife. At first he roundly refused to consider 
such a step, but when eagerly pressed by his friends 
he announced that no wife should he wed who could 
not first unloose the knot within his shift. So sought 
after was Gugemar that all the damsels in Brittany 
essayed the feat, but none of them succeeded and each 
retired sorrowfully from the ordeal. 
298 



The Lay of Gugemar 

Meanwhile the aged King had set his wife in a tower 
of grey marble, where she suffered agonies because of 
the absence of her lover. Ever she wondered what 
had happened to him, if he had regained his native 
shore or whether he had been swallowed up by the 
angry sea. Frequently she made loud moan, but there 
were none to hear her cries save stony-hearted gaolers, 
who were as dumb as the grey walls that enclosed her. 
One day she chanced in her dolour to lean heavily 
upon the door of her prison. To her amazement it 
opened, and she found herself in the corridor without. 
Hastening on impulse, and as if by instinct, to the 
harbour, she found there her lover's ship. Quickly she 
climbed upon its deck, and scarcely had she done so 
than the vessel began to move seaward. In great fear 
she sat still, and in time was wafted to a part of Brittany 
governed by one named Meriadus, who was on the 
point of going to war with a neighbouring chieftain. 
From his window Meriadus had seen the approach of 
the strange vessel, and, making his way to the sea- 
shore, entered the ship. Struck with the beauty of the 
Queen, he brought her to his castle, where he placed her 
in his sister's chamber. He strove in every way to 
dispel the sadness which seemed to envelop her like 
a mantle, but despite his efforts to please her she 
remained in sorrowful and doleful mood and would not 
be comforted. Sorely did Meriadus press her to wed 
him, but she would have none of him, and for answer 
showed him the girdle round her waist, saying that 
never would she give her love to any man who could 
not unloose its buckle. As she said this Meriadus 
seemed struck by her words. 

"Strange," he said, "a right worthy knight dwells in 

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this land who will take no woman to his wife save she 
who can first untie a certain crafty knot in his shift. 
Well would I wager that it was you who tied this knot." 
When the Queen heard these words she well-nigh 
fainted. Meriadus rushed to succour her, and gradually 
she revived. Some days later Meriadus held a high 
tournament, at which all the knights who were to aid 
him in the war were to be present, among them Guge- 
mar. A festival was held on the night preceding the 
tournament, at which Meriadus requested his sister 
and the stranger dame to be present. As the Queen 
entered the hall Gugemar rose from his place and 
stared at her as at a vision of the dead. In great doubt 
was he whether this lady was in truth his beloved. 
"Come, Gugemar," rallied Meriadus, "let this damsel 
try to unravel the knot in your shift which has puzzled 
so many fair dames." 

Gugemar called to his squire and bade him fetch the 
shift, and when it was brought the lady, without seem- 
ing effort, unravelled the knot. But even yet Gugemar 
remained uncertain. 

"Lady," he said, "tell me, I pray you, whether or 
not you wear a girdle with which I girt you in a realm 
across the sea," and placing his hands around her 
slender waist, he found there the secret belt. 
All his doubts dispelled, Gugemar asked his loved one 
how she had come to the tower of Meriadus. When he 
had heard, he then and there requested his ally to yield 
him the lady, but the chieftain roundly refused. Then 
the knight in great anger cast down his glove and took 
his departure, and, to the discomfiture of Meriadus, all 
those knights who had gathered for the tournament and 
had offered to assist Meriadus accompanied Gugemar. 
300 



GUGEMAR'S ASSAULT ON THE CASTLE OF MERIADUS 300 



The Lay of Gugemar 

In a body they rode to the castle of the prince who was 
at war with Meriadus, and next day they marched 
against the discourteous chieftain. Long did they 
besiege his castle, but at last when the defenders were 
weak with hunger Gugemar and his men assailed the 
place and took it, slaying Meriadus within the ruins of 
his own hall. Gugemar, rushing to that place where 
he knew his lady to be, called her forth, and in peace 
brought her back with him to his own demesne, where 
they were wed and dwelt long and happily. 
There are several circumstances connected with this 
beautiful old tale which deeply impress us with a belief 
in its antiquity. The incident of the killing of the deer 
and the incurable nature of Gugemar's wound are 
undoubtedly legacies from very ancient times, when it 
was believed to be unlucky under certain circumstances 
to kill a beast of the chase. Some savage races, such as 
the North American Indians, consider it to be most 
unlucky to slay a deer without first propitiating the 
great Deer God, the chief of the Deer Folk, and in fact 
they attribute most of the ills to which flesh is heir to 
the likelihood that they have omitted some of the very 
involved ritual of the chase. It will be remembered that 
Tristrem of Lyonesse also had an incurable wound, and 
there are other like instances in romance and myth. 
The vessel which carries Gugemar over the sea is 
undoubtedly of the same class as those magic self- 
propelled craft which we meet with very frequently in 
Celtic lore, and the introduction of this feature in itself 
is sufficient to convince us of the Celtic or Breton origin 
of Marie's tale. We have such a craft in the Grail 
legend in the Morte & Arthur, in which Galahad finds 
precisely such a bed. The vessel in the Grail legend 

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Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

is described as " King Solomon's Ship," and it is 
obvious that Marie or her Breton original must have 
borrowed the idea from a Grail source. 
Lastly, the means adopted by the lovers to ensure one 
another's constancy seem very like the methods of 
taboo. The knot that may not or cannot be untied 
has many counterparts in ancient lore, and the girdle 
that no man but the accepted lover may loose is 
reminiscent of the days when a man placed such a 
girdle around his wife or sweetheart to signify his sole 
possession of her. If a man could succeed in purloining 
a mermaid's girdle she was completely in his power. So 
is it with fairies in an Algonquin Indian tale. Even so 
late as Crusading times many knights departing to fight 
in the Holy Land bound a girdle round their ladies' 
waists in the hope that the gift would ensure their faith- 
fulness. 

The Lay of Lanstic 

The Lay of Laustic, or the Nightingale, is purely of 
Breton origin, and indeed is proved to be so by its title. 
" Laustic, I deem, men name it in that country" (Brittany), 
says Marie in her preface to the lay, " which being inter- 
preted means rossignol in French and 'nightingale' in 
good plain English." She adds that the Breton harper 
has already made a lay concerning it — added evidence 
that the tale is of Celtic and not of French origin. 
In the ancient town of Saint-Malo, in Brittany, dwelt 
two knights whose valour and prowess brought much 
fame to the community. Their houses were close to 
one another, and one of them was married to a lady of 
surpassing loveliness, while the other was a bachelor. 
By insensible degrees the bachelor knight came to love 

302 



The Lay of Laustic 

his neighbour's wife, and so handsome and gallant was 
he that in time she returned his passion. He made 
every possible excuse for seeking her society, and on 
one pretext or another was constantly by her side. But 
he was exceedingly careful of her fair fame, and acted 
in such a way that not the slightest breath of scandal 
could touch her. 

Their houses were separated by an ancient stone wall 
of considerable height, but the lovers could speak 
together by leaning from their casements, and if this 
was impossible they could communicate by sending 
written messages. When the lady's husband was at 
home she was guarded carefully, as was the custom 
of the time, but nevertheless she contrived to greet her 
lover from the window as frequently as she desired. 
In due course the wondrous time of spring came round, 
with white drift of blossom and stir of life newly 
awakened. The short night hours grew warm, and 
often did the lady arise from bed to have speech with 
her lover at the casement. Her husband grew dis- 
pleased by her frequent absences, which disturbed his 
rest, and wrathfully inquired the reason why she quitted 
his side so often. 

"Oh, husband," she replied, "I cannot rest because of 
the sweet song of the nightingale, whose music has cast 
a spell upon my heart. No tune of harp or viol can 
compare with it, and I may not close my eyes so long as 
his song continues in the night." 

Now the lady's husband, although a bold and hardy 
knight, was malicious and ungenerous, and, disliking to 
have his rest disturbed, resolved to deal summarily 
with the nightingale. So he gave orders to his servants 
to set traps in the garden and to smear every bough 

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Legends Romances of Brittany 

and branch with birdlime in order that the bird' might 
speedily be taken. His orders were at once carried 
out, and the garden was filled with nets, while the cruel 
lime glittered upon every tree. So complete were the 
preparations of the serving-men that an unfortunate 
nightingale which had made the garden its haunt and 
had filled it with music for many a night while the lovers 
talked was taken and brought to the knight. 
Swiftly he bore the hapless bird to his wife's chamber, 
his eyes sparkling with malicious glee. 
" Here is your precious songster," he said, with bitter 
irony. "You will be happy to learn that you and I 
may now spend our sleeping hours in peace since he is 
taken." 

44 Ah, slay him not, my lord!" she cried in anguish, for 
she had grown to associate the bird's sweet song with 
the sweeter converse of her lover — to regard it as in 
a measure an accompaniment to his love-words. For 
answer her husband seized the unhappy bird by the 
neck and wrung its head off. Then he cast the little 
body into the lap of the dame, soiling her with its 
blood, and departed in high anger. 

The lady pitifully raised what was left of the dead song- 
ster and bitterly lamented over it. 

"Woe is me!" she cried. "Never again can I meet 
with my lover at the casement, and he will believe that 
I am faithless to him. But I shall devise some means 
to let him know that this is not so." 
Having considered as to what she should do, the lady 
took a fine piece of white samite, broidered with gold, 
and worked upon it as on a tapestry the whole story of 
the nightingale, so that her knight might not be ignorant 
of the nature of the barrier that had arisen between them. 

304 



The Lay of Eliduc 

In this silken shroud she wrapped the small, sad body 
of the slain bird and gave it in charge of a trusty- 
servant to bear to her lover. The messenger told the 
knight what had occurred. The news was heavy to 
him, but now, having insight to the vengeful nature of 
her husband, he feared to jeopardize the lady's safety, 
so he remained silent. But he caused a rich coffer to 
be made in fine gold, set with precious stones, in which 
he laid the body of the nightingale, and this small 
funeral urn he carried about with him on all occasions, 
nor could any circumstance hinder him from keeping it 
constantly beside him. 

Wrap me love's ashes in a golden cloth 

To carry next my heart. Love's fire is out, 

And these poor embers grey, but I am loath 

To quench remembrance also : I shall put 

His relics over that they did consume. 

Ah, 'tis too bitter cold these cinders to relume ! 

Place me love's ashes in a golden cup, 
To mingle with my wine. Ah, do not fear 
The old flame in my soul shall flicker up 
At the harsh taste of what was once so dear. 
I quaff no fire : there is no fire to meet 
This bitterness of death and turn it into sweet. 

The Lay of Eliduc 

In the tale of Eliduc we have in all probability a 
genuine product of native Breton romance. So at 
least avers Marie, who assures us that it is "a very 
ancient Breton lay," and we have no reason to doubt 
her word, seeing that, had she been prone to literary 
dishonesty, it would have been much easier for her to 
have passed off the tale as her own original conception. 
There is, of course, the probability that it was so widely 

u 305 



Legends &? Romances of Brittany 

known in its Breton version that to have done so 
would have been to have openly courted the charge 
of plagiarism — an impeachment which it is not possible 
to bring against this most charming and delightful 
poetess. 

Eliduc, a knight of Brittany, was happy in the con- 
fidence of his King, who, when affairs of State caused 
his absence from the realm, left his trusted adherent 
behind him as viceroy and regent. Such a man, 
staunch and loyal, could scarcely be without enemies, 
and the harmless pleasure he took in the chase during 
the King's absence was construed by evil counsellors 
on the monarch's return as an unwarranted licence with 
the royal rights of venery. The enemies of Eliduc so 
harped upon the knight's supposed lack of reverence 
for the royal authority that at length the King's patience 
gave way and in an outburst of wrath he gave orders 
for Eliduc's banishment, without vouchsafing his former 
friend and confidant the least explanation of this petulant 
action. 

Dismayed by the sudden change in his fortunes, Eliduc 
returned to his house, and there acquainted his friends 
and vassals with the King's unjust decree. He told 
them that it was his intention to cross the sea to the 
kingdom of Logres, to sojourn there for a space. He 
placed his estates in the hands of his wife and begged 
of his vassals that they would serve her loyally. Then, 
having settled his affairs, he took ten knights of his 
household and started upon his journey. His wife, 
Guildeluec, accompanied him for several miles, and on 
parting they pledged good faith to one another. 
In due time the cavalcade came to the seashore and 
took ship for the realm of Logres. Near Exeter, in 
306 



The Lay of Eliduc 

this land, dwelt an aged king who had for his heir a 
daughter called Guillardun. This damsel had been 
asked in marriage by a neighbouring prince, and as 
her father had refused to listen to his proposals the 
disappointed suitor made war upon him, spoiling and 
wasting his land. The old King, fearful for his child's 
safety, had shut her up in a strong castle for her 
better security and his own peace of mind. 
Now Eliduc, coming to that land, heard the tale of 
the quarrel between the King and his neighbour, and 
considered as to which side he should take. After 
due deliberation he arranged to fight on the side of the 
King, with whom he offered to take service. His offer 
was gratefully accepted, and he had not been long in 
the royal host when he had an opportunity of dis- 
tinguishing himself. The town wherein he was lodged 
with his knights was attacked by the enemy. He set 
his men in ambush in a forest track by which it was 
known the enemy would approach the town, and suc- 
ceeded in routing them and in taking large numbers 
of prisoners and much booty. This feat of arms raised 
him high in the estimation of the King, who showed 
him much favour, and the Princess, hearing of his 
fame, became very desirous of beholding him. She 
sent her chamberlain to Eliduc saying that she wished 
to hear the story of his deeds, and he, quite as anxious 
to see the imprisoned Princess of whom he had heard 
so much, set out at once. On beholding each other 
they experienced deep agitation. Eliduc thought that 
never had he seen so beautiful and graceful a maiden, 
and Guillardun that this was the most handsome and 
comely knight she had ever met. 

For a long time they spoke together, and then Eliduc 

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Legends @P Romances of Brittany 

took his leave and departed. He counted all the time 
lost that he had remained in the kingdom without 
knowing this lady, but he promised himself that now 
he would frequently seek her society. Then, with a 
pang of remorse, he thought of his good and faithful 
wife and the sacred promise he had made her. 
Guillardun, on her part, was none the less ill at ease. 
She passed a restless night, and in the morning con- 
fided her case to her aged chamberlain, who was almost 
a second father to her, and he, all unwitting that Eliduc 
was already bound in wedlock to another, suggested 
that the Princess should send the knight a love-token 
to discover by the manner in which he received it 
whether or not her love was returned. Guillardun took 
this advice, and sent her lover a girdle and a ring by 
the hands of the chamberlain. On receiving the token 
Eliduc showed the greatest joy, girded the belt about 
his middle, and placed the ring on his finger. The 
chamberlain returned to the Princess and told her with 
what evident satisfaction Eliduc had received the gifts. 
But the Princess in her eagerness showered questions 
upon him, until at last the old man grew impatient. 
" Lady," he said, somewhat testily, " I have told you the 
knight's words ; I cannot tell you his thoughts, for he is 
a prudent gentleman who knows well what to hide in 
his heart." 

Although he rejoiced at the gifts Eliduc had but little 
peace of mind. He could think of nothing save the 
vow he had made to his wife before he left her. But 
thoughts of the Princess would intrude themselves upon 
him. Often he saw Guillardun, and although he saluted 
her with a kiss, as was the custom of the time, he never 
spoke a single word of love to her, being fearful on the 
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The Lay of Eliduc 

one hand of breaking his conjugal vow and on the other 
of offending the King. 

One evening when Eliduc was announced the King was 
in his daughter's chamber, playing at chess with a 
stranger lord. He welcomed the knight heartily, and 
much to the embarrassment of the lovers begged his 
daughter to cherish a closer friendship for Eliduc, whom 
he brought to her notice as a right worthy knight. The 
pair withdrew somewhat from the others, as if for the 
purpose of furthering the friendship which the old King 
so ardently seemed to desire, and Eliduc thanked the 
Princess for the gifts she had sent him by the chamber- 
lain. Then the Princess, taking advantage of her rank, 
told Eliduc that she desired him for her husband, and 
that, did he refuse her, she would die unwed. 
" Lady," replied the knight, " I have great joy in your 
love, but have you thought that I may not always tarry 
in this land ? I am your father's man until this war 
hath an end. Then shall I return unto mine own 
country." But Guillardun, in a transport of love, told 
him she would trust him entirely with her heart, and 
passing great was the affection that grew between them. 
Eliduc, in spite of his love for the Princess, had by no 
means permitted his conduct of the war to flag. Indeed, 
if anything, he redoubled his efforts, and pressed the 
foe so fiercely that at length he was forced to submit. 
And now news came to him that his old master, the 
King who had banished him from Brittany, was sore 
bestead by an enemy and was searching for his former 
vice-regent on every hand, who was so mighty a knight 
in the field and so sage at the council-board. Turning 
upon the false lords who had spoken evil of his favourite, 
he outlawed them from the land for ever. He sent 



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Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

messengers east and west and across the seas in search 
of Eliduc, who when he heard the news was much dis- 
mayed, so greatly did he love Guillardun. These twain 
had loved with a pure and tender passion, and never by 
word or deed had they sullied the affection they bore 
one another. Dearly did the Princess hope that Eliduc 
might remain in her land and become her lord, and little 
did she dream that he was wedded to a wife across the 
seas. For his part Eliduc took close counsel with 
himself. He knew by reason of the fealty he owed to 
his King that he must return to Brittany, but he was 
equally aware that if he parted from Guillardun one or 
other of them must die. 

Deep was the chagrin of the King of Logres when he 
learned that Eliduc must depart from his realm, but 
deeper far was his daughter's grief when the knight 
came to bid her farewell. In moving words she urged 
him to remain, and when she found that his loyalty was 
proof even against his love, she begged of him to take 
her with him to Brittany. But this request he turned 
aside, on the plea that as he had served her father he 
could not so offend him as by the theft of his daughter. 
He promised, however, by all he held most dear that he 
would return one day, and with much sorrow the two 
parted, exchanging rings for remembrance. 
Eliduc took ship and swiftly crossed the sea. He met 
with a joyous reception from his King, and none was 
so glad at his return as his wife. But gradually his 
lady began to see that he had turned cold to her. She 
charged him with it, and he replied that he had pledged 
his faith to the foreign lord whom he had served 
abroad. 

Very soon through his conduct the war was brought 
310 



The Lay of Eliduc 

to a victorious close, and almost immediately thereafter 
Eliduc repaired across the sea to Logres, taking with 
him two of his nephews as his squires. On reaching 
Logres he at- once went to visit Guillardun, who 
received him with great gladness. She returned with 
him to his ship, which commenced the return voyage 
at once, but when they neared the dangerous coast 
of Brittany a sudden tempest arose, and waxed so 
fierce that the mariners lost all hope of safety. One 
of them cried out that the presence of Guillardun on 
board the ship endangered all their lives and that the 
conduct of Eliduc, who had already a faithful wife, in 
seeking to wed this foreign woman had brought about 
their present dangerous position. Eliduc grew very 
wroth, and when Guillardun heard that her knight was 
already wedded she swooned and all regarded her as 
dead. In despair Eliduc fell upon his betrayer, slew 
him, and cast his body into the sea. Then, guiding 
the ship with a seaman's skill, he brought her into 
harbour. 

When they were safely anchored, Eliduc conceived the 
idea of taking Guillardun, whom he regarded as dead, 
to a certain chapel in a great forest quite near his own 
home. Setting her body before him on his palfrey, 
he soon came to the little shrine, and making a bier 
of the altar laid Guillardun upon it. He then betook 
him to his own house, but the next morning returned 
to the chapel in the forest. Mourning over the body 
of his lady-love, he was surprised to observe that the 
colour still remained in her cheeks and lips. Again 
and again he visited the chapel, and his wife, marvelling 
whither he went, bribed a varlet to discover the object 
of his repeated absences. The man watched Eliduc 

3ii 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

and saw him enter the chapel and mourn over the body 
of Guillardun, and, returning, acquainted his lady with 
what he had seen. 

Guildeluec — for such, we will remember, was the name 
of Eliduc's wife — set out for the shrine, and with 
astonishment beheld the lifelike form of Guillardun laid 
on the altar. So pitiful was the sight that she herself 
could not refrain from the deepest sorrow. As she sat 
weeping a weasel came from under the altar and ran 
across Guillardun's body, and the varlet who attended 
Guildeluec struck at it with his staff and killed it. 
Another weasel issued, and, beholding its dead comrade, 
went forth from the chapel and hastened to the wood, 
whence it returned, bearing in its mouth a red flower, 
which it placed on the mouth of its dead companion. 
The weasel which Guildeluec had believed to be dead 
at once stood up. Beholding this, the varlet cast his 
staff at the animals and they sped away, leaving the 
red flower behind them. 

Guildeluec immediately picked the flower up, and re- 
turning with it to the altar where Guillardun lay, placed 
it on the maidens mouth. In a few moments she heard 
a sigh, and Guillardun sat up, and inquired if she had 
slept long. Guildeluec asked her name and degree, 
and Guillardun in reply acquainted her with her history 
and lineage, speaking very bitterly of Eliduc, who, she 
said, had betrayed her in a strange land. Guildeluec 
declared herself the wife of Eliduc, told Guillardun 
how deeply the knight had grieved for her, and declared 
her intention of taking the veil and releasing Eliduc 
from his marriage vow. She conducted Guillardun to 
her home, where they met Eliduc, who rejoiced greatly 
at the restoration of his lady-love. His wife founded 
312 




ELIDUC CARRIES GUILLARDUN TO, THE FOREST CHAPEL 312 



The Lay of Equitan 

a convent with the rich portion he bestowed upon her, 
and Eliduc, in thankfulness for Guillardun's recovery, 
built a fair church close by his castle and endowed 
it bountifully, and close beside it erected a great 
monastery. Later Guillardun entered the convent of 
which Guildeluec was the abbess, and Eliduc, himself 
feeling the call of the holy life, devoted himself to the 
service of God in the monastery. Messages passed 
between convent and monastery in which Eliduc and 
the holy women encouraged each other in the pious 
life which they had chosen, and by degrees the three 
who had suffered so greatly came to regard their 
seclusion as far preferable to the world and all its 
vanities. 

The Lay of Equitan 

The Lay of Equitan is one of Marie's most famous tales. 
Equitan was King of Nantes, in Brittany, and led the 
life of a pleasure-seeker. To win approval from the 
eyes of fair ladies was more to him than knightly fame 
or honour. 

Equitan had as seneschal a trusty and faithful knight, 
who was to the pleasure-loving seigneur as his right 
hand. This faithful servant was also captain of 
Equitan's army, and sat as a judge in his courts. To 
his undoing he had a wife, as fair a dame as any in 
the duchy of Brittany. " Her eyes," says the old lay, 
"were blue, lier face was warm in colour, her mouth 
fragrant and her nose dainty." She was ever tastefully 
dressed and courtly in demeanour, and soon attracted 
the attention of such an admirer of the fair sex as 
Equitan, who desired to speak with her more in- 
timately. He therefore, as a subterfuge, announced 

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that a great hunt would take place in that part of his 
domains in which his seneschals castle was situated, 
and this gave him the opportunity of sojourning at the 
castle and holding converse with the lady, with whom 
he became so charmed that in a few days he fell deeply 
in love with her. On the night of the day when he first 
became aware that he loved her Equitan lay tossing on 
his bed, in a torment of fiery emotion. He debated 
with himself in what manner he should convey to his 
seneschal's wife the fact that he loved her, and at length 
prepared a plot which he thought would be likely to 
succeed. 

Next day he rose as usual and made all arrangements 
to proceed with the chase. But shortly after setting 
out he returned, pleading that he had fallen sick, and 
took to his bed. The faithful seneschal could not divine 
what had occurred to render his lord so seriously indis- 
posed as he appeared to be, and requested his wife to 
go to him to see if she could minister to him and cheer 
his drooping spirits. 

The lady went to Equitan, who received her dolefully 
enough. He told her without reserve that the malady 
from which he suffered was none other than love for 
herself, and that did she not consent to love him in 
return he would surely die. The dame at first dissented, 
but, carried away by the fiery eloquence of his words, 
she at last assured him of her love, and they exchanged 
rings as a token of troth and trust. 

The love of Equitan and the seneschal's wife was 
discovered by none, and when they desired to meet 
he arranged to go hunting in the neighbourhood of 
the seneschal's castle. Shortly after they had plighted 
their troth the great barons of the realm approached 

3H 



The Lay of Equitan 

the King with a proposal that he should marry, but 
Equitan would have none of this, nor would he listen 
to even his most trusted advisers with regard to such 
a subject. The nobles were angered at his curt and 
even savage refusal to hearken to them, and the 
commons were also greatly disturbed because of the 
lack of a successor. The echoes of the disagreement 
reached the ears of the seneschal's wife, who was much 
perturbed thereby, being aware that the King had come 
to this decision for love of her. 

At their next meeting she broached the subject to her 
royal lover, lamenting that they had ever met. 
" Now are my good days gone," she said, weeping, "for 
you will wed some king's daughter as all men say, and 
I shall certainly die if I lose you thus." 
" Nay, that will not be," replied Equitan. " Never 
shall I wed except your husband die." 
The lady felt that he spoke truly, but in an evil moment 
she came to attach a sinister meaning to the words 
Equitan had employed regarding her husband. Day 
and night she brooded on them, for well she knew that 
did her husband die Equitan would surely wed her. By 
insensible degrees she came to regard her husband's 
death as a good rather than an evil thing, and little by 
little Equitan, who at first looked upon the idea with 
horror, became converted to her opinion. Between 
them they hatched a plot for the undoing of the 
seneschal. It was arranged that the King should go 
hunting as usual in the neighbourhood of his faithful 
servant's castle. While lodging in the castle, the King 
and the seneschal would be bled in the old surgical 
manner for their health's sake, and three days after 
would bathe before leaving the chamber they occupied, 

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Legends Romances of Brittany 

and the heartless wife suggested that she should make 
her husband's bath so fiercely hot that he would not 
survive after entering it. One would think that the 
seneschal would easily have been able to escape such a 
simple trap, but we must remember that the baths of 
Norman times were not shaped like our own, but were 
exceedingly deep, and indeed some of them were in 
form almost like those immense upright jars such as the 
forty thieves were concealed in in the story of Ali Baba, 
so that in many cases it was not easy for the bather to 
tell whether the water into which he was stepping was 
hot or otherwise. 

The plot was carried out as the lady had directed, but 
not without much misgiving on the part of Equitan. 
The King duly arrived at the castle, and announced his 
intention to be bled, requesting that the seneschal should 
undergo the same operation at the same time, and occupy 
the same chamber by way of companionship. Then 
after the leech had bled them the King asked that he 
might have a bath before leaving his apartment, and 
the seneschal requested that his too should be made 
ready. Accordingly on the third day the baths were 
brought to the chamber, and the lady occupied herself 
with filling them. While she was doing so her lord left 
the chamber for a space, and during his absence the King 
and the lady were clasped in each other's arms. So 
rapt were the pair in their amorous dalliance that they 
failed to notice the return of the seneschal, who, when 
he saw them thus engaged, uttered an exclamation of 
surprise and wrath. Equitan, turning quickly, saw him, 
and with a cry of despair leapt into the bath that the 
lady had prepared for the seneschal, and there perished 
miserably, while the enraged husband, seizing his faith- 
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The Lay of the Ash-Tree 

less wife, thrust her headlong into the boiling water 
beside her lover, where she too was scalded to death. 

The Lay of the Ash-Tree 

In olden times there dwelt in Brittany two knights who 
were neighbours and close friends. Both were married, 
and one was the father of twin sons, one of whom he 
christened by the name of his friend. Now this friend 
had a wife who was envious of heart and rancorous of 
tongue, and on hearing that two sons had been born to 
her neighbour she spoke slightingly and cruelly about 
her, saying that to bear twins was ever a disgrace. Her 
evil words were spread abroad, and at last as a result of 
her malicious speech the good lady's husband himself 
began to doubt and suspect the wife who had never for 
a moment given him the least occasion to do so. 
Strangely enough, within the year two daughters were 
born to the lady of the slanderous tongue, who now 
deeply lamented the wrong she had done, but all to no 
purpose. Fearful of the gossip which she thought the 
event would occasion, she gave one of the children to 
a faithful handmaiden, with directions that it should be 
laid on the steps of a church, where it might be picked 
up as a foundling and nourished by some stranger. The 
babe was wrapped in a linen cloth, which again was 
covered with a beautiful piece of red silk that the lady's 
husband had purchased in the East, and a handsome 
ring engraved with the family insignia and set with 
garnets was bound to the infant's arm with silken lace. 
When the child had thus been attired the damsel took 
it and carried it for many miles into the country, until 
at last she came to a city where there was a large and 
fair abbey. Breathing a prayer that the child might 

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Legends flsf Romances of Brittany 

have proper guardianship, the girl placed it on the abbey- 
steps as her mistress had ordered her to do, but, afraid 
that it might catch cold on such a chilly bed, she looked 
around and saw an ash-tree, thick and leafy, with four 
strong branches, among the foliage of which she deposited 
the little one, commending it to the care of God, after 
which she returned to her mistress and acquainted her 
with what had passed. 

In the morning the abbey porter opened the great doors 
of the house of God so that the people might enter for 
early Mass. As he was thus engaged his eye caught 
the gleam of red silk among the leaves of the ash-tree, 
and going to it he discovered the deserted infant. 
Taking the babe from its resting-place, he returned 
with it to his house, and, awaking his daughter, who 
was a widow with a baby yet in the cradle, he asked 
her to cherish it and care for it. Both father and 
daughter could see from the crimson silk and the great 
signet ring that the child was of noble birth. The 
porter told the abbess of his discovery, and she requested 
him to bring the child to her, dressed precisely as it had 
been found. On beholding the infant a great compassion 
was aroused in the breast of the holy woman, who 
resolved to bring up the child herself, calling her her 
niece, and since she was taken from the ash giving her 
the name of Frene. 

Frene grew up one of the fairest damsels in Brittany. 
She was frank in manner, yet modest and discreet in 
bearing and speech. At Dol, where, as we have read, 
there is a great menhir and other prehistoric monuments, 
there lived a lord called Buron, who, hearing reports of 
Frene's beauty and sweetness, greatly desired to behold 
her. Riding home from a tournament, he passed near 

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The Lay of the Ash-Tree 

the convent, and, alighting there, paid his respects to 
the abbess, and begged that he might see her niece. 
Buron at once fell in love with the maiden, and in order 
to gain favour with the abbess bestowed great riches 
upon the establishment over which she presided, re- 
questing in return that he might be permitted to occupy 
a small apartment in the abbey should he chance to be 
in the neighbourhood. 

In this way he frequently saw and spoke with Frene, 
who in turn fell in love with him. He persuaded her 
to fly with him to his castle, taking with her the silken 
cloth and ring with which she had been found. 
But the lord's tenants were desirous that he should 
marry, and had set their hearts upon his union with a 
rich lady named Coudre, daughter of a neighbouring 
baron. The marriage was arranged, greatly to the grief 
of Frene, and duly took place. Going to Buron's bridal 
chamber, she considered it too mean, blinded with love 
as she was, for such as he, and placed the wondrous 
piece of crimson silk in which she had been wrapped 
as an infant over the coverlet. Presently the bride's 
mother entered the bridal chamber in order to see that 
all was fitting for her daughter's reception there. Gazing 
at the crimson coverlet, she recognized it as that in 
which she had wrapped her infant daughter. She 
anxiously inquired to whom it belonged, and was told 
that it was Frene's. Going to the damsel, she questioned 
her as to where she had obtained the silk, and was told 
by Frene that the abbess had given it to her along with 
a ring which had been found upon her when, as an 
infant, she had been discovered within the branches of 
the ash-tree. 

The mother asked anxiously to see the ring, and on 

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Legends & Romances of Brittany 

beholding it told Frene of their relationship, which at 
the same time she confessed to her husband, the baron. 
The father was overjoyed to meet with a daughter he 
had never known, and hastened to the bridegroom to 
acquaint him with Frene's story. Great joy had Buron, 
and the archbishop who had joined him to Coudre gave 
counsel that they should be parted according to the 
rites of the Church and that Buron should marry Frene. 
This was accordingly done, and when Frene's parents 
returned to their own domain they found another 
husband for Coudre. 

The Lay of Graelent 

Graelent was a Breton knight dwelling at the Court 
of the King of Brittany, a very pillar to him in war, 
bearing himself valiantly in tourney and joust. So 
handsome and brave was he that the Queen fell madly 
in love with him, and asked her chamberlain to bring 
the knight into her presence. When he came she 
praised him greatly to his face, not only for his gallantry 
in battle, but also for his comeliness; but at her honeyed 
words the youth, quite abashed, sat silent, saying 
nothing. The Queen at last questioned him if his 
heart was set on any maid or dame, to which he re- 
plied that it was not, that love was a serious business 
and not to be taken in jest. 

" Many speak glibly of love,' he said, "of whom not 
one can spell the first letter of its name. Love should 
be quiet and discreet or it is nothing worth, and with- 
out accord between the lovers love is but a bond and 
a constraint. Love is too high a matter for me to 
meddle with." 

The Queen listened greedily to Graelent's words, and 
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The Lay of Graelent 

when he had finished speaking she discovered her love 
for him ; but he turned from her courteously but firmly. 
" Lady," he said, " I beg your forgiveness, but this 
may not be. I am the King's man, and to him I have 
pledged my faith and loyalty. Never shall he know 
shame through any conduct of mine." 
With these words he took his leave of the Queen. But 
his protestations had altered her mind not at all. She 
sent him messages daily, and costly gifts, but these he 
refused and returned, till at last the royal dame, stung 
to anger by his repulses, conceived a violent hatred 
for him, and resolved to be revenged upon him for the 
manner in which he had scorned her love. 
The King of Brittany went to war with a neighbouring 
monarch, and Graelent bore himself manfully in the 
conflict, leading his troops again and again to victory. 
Hearing of his repeated successes, the Queen was ex- 
ceedingly mortified, and made up her mind to destroy 
his popularity with the troops. With this end in view 
she prevailed upon the King to withhold the soldiers' 
pay, which Graelent had to advance them out of his 
own means. In the end the unfortunate knight was 
reduced almost to beggary by this mean stratagem. 
One morning he was riding through the town where 
he was lodged, clad in garments so shabby that the 
wealthy burgesses in their fur-lined cloaks and rich 
apparel gibed and jeered at him, but Graelent, sure of 
his own worth, deigned not to take notice of such ill- 
breeding, and for his solace quitted the crowded streets 
of the place and took his way toward the great forest 
which skirted it. He rode into its gloom deep in 
thought, listening to the murmur of the river which 
flowed through the leafy ways. 

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Legends Romances of Brittany 

He had not gone far when he espied a white hart within 
a thicket. She fled before him into the thickest part of 
the forest, but the silvern glimmer of her body showed 
the track she had taken. On a sudden deer and horse- 
man dashed into a clearing among the trees where there 
was a grassy lawn, in the midst of which sprang a fountain 
of clear water. In this fountain a lady was bathing, and 
two attendant maidens stood near. Now Graelent be- 
lieved that the lady must be a fairy, and knowing well 
that the only way to capture such a being was to seize 
her garments, he looked around for these, and seeing 
them lying upon a bush he laid hands upon them. 
The attendant women at this set up a loud outcry, and 
the lady herself turned to where he sat his horse and 
called him by name. 

" Graelent, what do you hope to gain by the theft of my 
raiment?" she asked. " Have you, a knight, sunk so 
low as to behave like a common pilferer ? Take my 
mantle if you must, but pray spare me my gown." 
Graelent laughed at the lady's angry words, and told 
her that he was no huckster. He then begged her to 
don her garments, as he desired to have speech with 
her. After her women had attired her, Graelent took 
her by the hand and, leading her a little space away 
from her attendants, told her that he had fallen deeply 
in love with her. But the lady frowned and seemed at 
first offended. 

" You do not know to whom you proffer your love," she 
said. Are you aware that my birth and lineage render 
it an impertinence for a mere knight to seek to ally 
himself with me ? " 

But Graelent had a most persuasive tongue, and the 
deep love he had conceived for the lady rendered him 
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The Lay of Graelent 

doubly eloquent on this occasion. At last the fairy- 
woman, for such she was, was quite carried away by his 
words, and granted him the boon he craved. 
" There is, however, one promise I must exact from 
you," she said, "and that is that never shall you mention 
me to mortal man. I on my part shall assist you in 
every possible manner. You shall never be without 
gold in your purse nor costly apparel to wear. Day 
and night shall I remain with you, and in war and in 
the chase will ride by your side, visible to you alone, 
unseen by your companions. For a year must you 
remain in this country. Now noon has passed and you 
must go. A messenger shall shortly come to you to 
tell you of my wishes." 

Graelent took leave of the lady and kissed her farewell. 
Returning to his lodgings in the town, he was leaning 
from the casement considering his strange adventure 
when he saw a varlet issuing from the forest riding 
upon a palfrey. The man rode up the cobbled street 
straight to Graelent's lodgings, where he dismounted 
and, entering, told the knight that his lady had sent 
him with the palfrey as a present, and begged that he 
would accept the services of her messenger to take charge 
of his lodgings and manage his affairs. 
The serving-man quickly altered the rather poor appear- 
ance of Graelent's apartment. He spread a rich coverlet 
upon his couch and produced a well-filled purse and rich 
apparel. Graelent at once sought out all the poor 
knights of the town and feasted them to their hearts' 
content. From this moment he fared sumptuously 
every day. His lady appeared whenever he desired 
her to, and great was the love between them. Nothing 
more had he to wish for in this life. 



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Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

A year passed in perfect happiness for the knight, and 
at its termination the King held a great feast on the 
occasion of Pentecost. To this feast Sir Graelent was 
bidden. All day the knights and barons and their ladies 
feasted, and the King, having drunk much wine, grew 
boastful. Requesting the Queen to stand forth on the 
dais, he asked the assembled nobles if they had ever 
beheld so fair a dame as she. The lords were loud in 
their praise of the Queen, save Graelent only. He sat 
with bent head, smiling strangely, for he knew of a lady 
fairer by far than any lady in that Court. The Queen 
was quick to notice this seeming discourtesy, and pointed 
it out to the King, who summoned Graelent to the steps 
of the throne. 

" How now, Sir Knight," said the King ; " wherefore 
did you sneer when all other men praised the Queens 
beauty ? " 

"Sire," replied Graelent, "you do yourself much dis- 
honour by such a deed. You make your wife a show 
upon a stage and force your nobles to praise her with 
lies when in truth a fairer dame than she could very 
easily be found." 

Now when she heard this the Queen was greatly 
angered and prayed her husband to compel Graelent to 
bring to the Court her of whom he boasted so proudly. 
" Set us side by side," cried the infuriated Queen, "and 
if she be fairer than I before men's eyes, Graelent may 
go in peace, but if not let justice be done upon him." 
The King, stirred to anger at these words, ordered his 
guards to seize Graelent, swearing that he should never 
issue from prison till the lady of whom he had boasted 
should come to Court and pit herself against the Queen. 
Graelent was then cast into a dungeon, but he thought 

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The Lay of Graelent 

little of this indignity, fearing much more that his rash- 
ness had broken the bond betwixt him and his fairy 
bride. After a while he was set at liberty, on pledging 
his word that he would return bringing with him the 
lady whom he claimed as fairer than the Queen. 
Leaving the Court, he betook himself to his lodging, 
and called upon his lady, but received no answer. 
Again he called, but without result, and believing that 
his fairy bride had utterly abandoned him he gave way 
to despair. In a year's time Graelent returned to the 
Court and admitted his failure. 

" Sir Graelent," said the King, " wherefore should you 
not be punished ? You have slandered the Queen in 
the most unknightly manner, and given the lie to those 
nobles who must now give judgment against you." 
The nobles retired to consider their judgment upon 
Graelent. For a long time they debated, for most of 
them were friendly to him and he had been extremely 
popular at Court. In the midst of their deliberations 
a page entered and prayed them to postpone judgment, 
as two damsels had arrived at the palace and were 
having speech with the King concerning Graelent. 
The damsels told the King that their mistress was at 
hand, and begged him to wait for her arrival, as she had 
come to uphold Graelent's challenge. Hearing this, the 
Queen quitted the hall, and shortly after she had gone 
a second pair of damsels appeared bearing a similar 
message for the King. Lastly Graelent's young bride 
herself entered the hall. 

At sight of her a cry of admiration arose from the 
assembled nobles, and all admitted that their eyes had 
never beheld a fairer lady. When she reached the 
King's side she dismounted from her palfrey. 

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Legends @P Romances of Brittany 

" Sire," she said, addressing the King, "hasty and foolish 
was Graelent's tongue when he spoke as he did, but at 
least he told the truth when he said that there is no 
lady so fair but a fairer may be found. Look upon me 
and judge in this quarrel between the Queen and me." 
When she had spoken every lord and noble with one 
voice agreed that she was fairer than her royal rival. 
Even the King himself admitted that it was so, and 
Sir Graelent was declared a free man. 
Turning round to seek his lady, the knight observed 
that she was already some distance away, so, mounting 
upon his white steed, he followed hotly after her. All 
day he followed, and all night, calling after her and 
pleading for pity and pardon, but neither she nor her 
attendant damsels paid the slightest attention to his 
cries. Day after day he followed her, but to no purpose. 
At last the lady and her maidens entered the forest and 
rode to the bank of a broad stream. They set their 
horses to the river, but when the lady saw that Graelent 
was about to follow them she turned and begged him to 
desist, telling him that it was death for him to cross that 
stream. Graelent did not heed her, but plunged into 
the torrent. The stream was deep and rapid, and 
presently he was torn from his saddle. Seeing this, the 
lady's attendants begged her to save him. Turning 
back, the lady clutched her lover by the belt and dragged 
him to the shore. He was well-nigh drowned, but under 
her care he speedily recovered, and, say the Breton folk, 
entered with her that realm of Fairyland into which 
penetrated Thomas the Rhymer, Ogier the Dane, and 
other heroes. His white steed when it escaped from 
the river grieved greatly for its master, rushing up and 
down the bank, neighing loudly, and pawing with its 
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The Lay of Graelent 

hoofs upon the ground. Many men coveted so noble a 
charger, and tried to capture him, but all in vain, so 
each year, "in its season," as the old romance says, the 
forest is filled with the sorrowful neighing of the good 
steed which may not find its master. 
The story of Graelent is one of those which deal with 
what is known to folk-lorists as the ' fairy-wife ' subject. 
A taboo is always placed upon the mortal bridegroom. 
Sometimes he must not utter the name of his wife ; in 
other tales, as in that of Melusine, he must not seek 
her on a certain day of the week. The essence of the 
story is, of course, that the taboo is broken, and in most 
cases the mortal husband loses his supernatural mate. 
Another incident in the general motif is the stealing 
of the fairy-woman's clothes. The idea is the same as 
that found in stories where the fisherman steals the 
sea-woman's skin canoe as a prelude to making her 
his wife, or the feather cloak of the swan-maiden is 
seized by the hunter when he finds her asleep, thus 
placing the supernatural maiden in his power. Among 
savages it is quite a common and usual circumstance 
for the spouses not to mention each other's names for 
months after marriage, nor even to see one another's 
faces. In the story under consideration the taboo con- 
sists in the mortal bridegroom being forbidden to allude 
in any circumstances to his supernatural wife, who is 
undoubtedly the same type of being encountered by 
Thomas the Rhymer and Bonny Kilmeny in the ballads 
related of them. They are denizens of a country, a 
fairy realm, which figures partly as an abode of the 
dead, and which we are certainly justified in identifying 
with the Celtic Otherworld. The river which the fairy- 
woman crosses bears a certain resemblance to the Styx, 

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Legends Romances of Brittany 

or she tells Graelent plainly that should he reach its 
opposite bank he is as good as dead. Fairyland in 
early Celtic lore may be a place of delight, but it is 
none the less one of death and remoteness. 

The Lay of the Dolorous Knight 
Once more the scene is laid in Nantes, and "some 
harpers," says Marie, " call it the Lay of the Four 
Sorrows." In this city of Brittany dwelt a lady on 
whom four barons of great worship had set their love. 
They were not singular in this respect, as the damsel's 
bright eyes had set fire to the hearts of all the youths 
of the ancient town. She smiled upon them all, but 
favoured no one more than another. Out of this great 
company, however, the four noblemen in question had 
constituted themselves her particular squires. They 
vied with one another in the most earnest manner to 
gain her esteem ; but she was equally gracious to all 
and it was impossible to say that she favoured any. 
It was not surprising, then, that each one of the four 
nobles believed that the lady preferred him to the 
others. Each of them had received gifts from her, 
and each cried her name at tournaments. On the 
occasion of a great jousting, held without the walls 
of Nantes, the four lovers held the lists, and from all 
the surrounding realms and duchies came hardy knights 
to break a spear for the sake of chivalry. 
From matins to vespers the friendly strife raged fiercely, 
and against the four champions of Nantes four foreign 
knights especially pitted themselves. Two of these 
were of Hainault, and the other two were Flemings. 
The two companies charged each other so desperately 
that the horses of all eight men were overthrown. The 
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The Lay of the Dolorous Knight 

four knights of Nantes rose lightly from the ground, 
but the four stranger knights lay still. Their friends, 
however, rushed to their rescue, and soon the challengers 
were lost in a sea of steel. 

Now the lady in whose honour the lists were defended 
by these four brave brethren in arms sat beholding their 
prowess in the keenest anxiety. Soon the knights of 
Nantes were reinforced by their friends, and the strife 
waxed furiously, sword to sword and lance to lance. 
First one company and then the other gained the 
advantage, but, urged on by rashness, the four chal- 
lenging champions charged boldly in front of their 
comrades and became separated from them, with the 
dire result that three of them were killed and the fourth 
was so grievously wounded that he was borne from the 
press in a condition hovering between life and death. 
So furious were the stranger knights because of the 
resistance that had been made by the four champions 
that they cast their opponents' shields outside the lists. 
But the knights of Nantes won the day, and, raising 
their three slain comrades and him who was wounded, 
carried all four to the house of their lady-love. 
When the sad procession reached her doors the lady 
was greatly grieved and cast down. To her three dead 
lovers she gave sumptuous burial in a fair abbey. As 
for the fourth, she tended him with such skill that ere 
long his wounds were healed and he was quite recovered. 
One summer day the knight and the lady sat together 
after meat, and a great sadness fell upon her because of 
the knights who had been slain in her cause. Her head 
sank upon her breast and she seemed lost in a reverie 
of sorrow. The knight, perceiving her distress, could 
not well understand what had wounded her so deeply. 

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Legends {§P Romances of Brittany 

" Lady," said he, 44 a great sorrow seems to be yours. 
Reveal your grief to me, and perchance I can find you 
comfort." 

" Friend," replied the lady, 44 I grieve for your com- 
panions who are gone. Never was lady or damsel 
served by four such valiant knights, three of whom were 
slain in one single day. Pardon me if I call them to 
mind at this time, but it is my intention to make a 
lay in order that these champions and yourself may 
not be forgotten, and I will call it 4 The Lay of the 
Four Sorrows.' " 

44 Nay, lady," said the knight, "call it not 'The Lay of 
the Four Sorrows,' but rather 4 The Lay of the Dolorous 
Knight.' My three comrades are dead. They have 
gone to their place ; no more hope have they of life ; all 
their sorrows are ended and their love for you is as dead 
as they. I alone am here in life, but what have I to 
hope for ? I find my life more bitter than they could 
find the grave. I see you in your comings and goings, 
I may speak with you, but I may not have your love. 
For this reason I am full of sorrow and cast down, and 
thus I beg that you give your lay my name and call it 
4 The Lay of the Dolorous Knight.'" 
The lady looked earnestly upon him. 44 By my faith,'' 
she said, 44 you speak truly. The lay shall be known by 
the title you wish it to be." 

So the lay was written and entitled as the knight desired 
it should be. 44 I heard no more," says Marie, 44 and 
nothing more I know. Perforce I must bring my story 
to a close." 

The end of this lay is quite in the medieval manner, 
and fitly concludes this chapter. We are left absolutely 
in the dark as to whether the knight and the lady came 

330 



The Lay of the Dolorous Knight 

together at last. I for one do not blame Marie for this, 
as with the subtle sense of the fitness of things that 
belongs to all great artists she saw how much more 
effective it would be to leave matters as they were 
between the lovers. There are those who will blame 
her for her inconclusiveness ; but let them bear in mind 
that just because of what they consider her failing in 
this respect they will not be likely to forget her tale, 
whereas had it ended with wedding-bells they would 
probably have stored it away in some mental attic with 
a thousand other dusty memories. 



33i 



CHAPTER XII : THE SAINTS 
OF BRITTANY 

AN important department in Breton folk-lore is 
the hagiology of the province — the legendary 
lore of its saints. This, indeed, holds almost 
as much of the marvellous as its folk-tales, ballads, and 
historical legends, and in perusing the tales of Brittany's 
saintly heroes we have an opportunity of observing how 
the motifs of popular fiction and even of pagan belief 
reflect upon religious romance. 

Just as some mythology is not in itself religious, but 
very often mere fiction fortuitously connected with the 
names of the gods, so hagiology is not of sacerdotal but 
popular origin. For the most part it describes the 
origin of its heroes and accounts for their miracles and 
marvellous deeds by various means, just as mythology 
does. It must be remembered that the primitive saint 
was in close touch with paganism, that, indeed, he had 
frequently to fight the Druid and the magician with his 
own weapons, and therefore we must not be surprised 
if in some of these tales we find him somewhat of a 
magician himself. But he is invariably on the side of 
light, and the things of darkness and evil shrink from 
contact with him. 

St Barbe 

Overlooking the valley of the Elle\ near the beautiful 
and historic village of Le Faouet, is a ledge of rock, 
approached by an almost inaccessible pathway. On 
this ledge stands the chapel of St Barbe, one of the 
strangest and most ' pagan ' of the Breton saints. She 
protects those who seek her aid from sudden death, 

332 



St Barbe 

especially death by lightning. Of recent years popular 
belief has extended her sphere of influence to cover those 
who travel by automobile ! She is also regarded as the 
patroness of firemen, at whose annual dinner her statue, 
surrounded by flowers, presides. She is extremely 
popular in Brittany, and once a year, on the last 
Sunday of June, pilgrims arrive at Le Faouet to cele- 
brate her festival. Each, as he passes the belfry which 
stands beside the path, pulls the bell-rope, and the 
young men make the tour of a small neighbouring 
chapel, dedicated to St Michel, Lord of Heights. Then 
they drink of a little fountain near at hand and purchase 
amulets, which are supposed to be a preservative against 
sudden death and which are known as i Couronnes de 
Ste Barbe.' St Barbe is said to have been the daughter 
of a pagan father, and to have been so beautiful that he 
shut her up in a tower and permitted no one to go near 
her. She succeeded, however, in communicating with 
the outer world, and sent a letter to Origen of Alex- 
andria, entreating him to instruct her in the Christian 
faith, as she had ceased to believe in the gods of her 
fathers. Origen dispatched one of his monks to her, 
and under his guidance she became a Christian. She • 
was called upon to suffer for her faith, for she was 
brought before the Gallo- Roman proconsul, and, since 
she refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods, was savagely 
maltreated, and sentenced to be beaten as she walked 
naked through the streets ; but she raised her eyes to 
heaven and a cloud descended and hid her from the 
gaze of the impious mortals who would otherwise 
have witnessed her martyrdom. Subsequently she was 
spirited away to the top of a mountain, where, however, 
her presence was betrayed by a shepherd. Her pagan 

333 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

father, learning of her hiding-place, quickly ascended 
the height and beheaded her with his own hand. 
The legends of St Barbe abound in strange details, 
which are more intelligible if we regard the Saint as 
being the survival of some elemental goddess connected 
with fire. The vengeance of heaven descended upon 
her enemies, for both her father and the shepherd who 
betrayed her were destroyed, the former being struck 
by lightning on his descent from the mountain, and the 
latter being turned into marble. 

The legend of the foundation of the chapel at Le 
Faouet is illustrative of the strange powers of this 
saint. A Lord of Toulboudou, near Guemene, was 
overtaken by a severe thunderstorm while hunting. 
No shelter was available, and as the storm increased in 
fury the huntsmen trembled for their lives, and doubtless 
repeated with much fervour the old Breton charm : 

Sainte Barbe et sainte Claire, 
Preservez-moi du tonnerre, 

Si le tonnerre tombe 
Qu'il ne tombe pas sur moi ! 

which may be roughly translated : 

Saint Barbe the great and sainted Clair, 
Preserve me from the lightning's glare. 
When thunderbolts are flashing red 
Let them not burst upon my head. 

The Lord of Toulboudou, however, was not content 
with praying to the Saint. He vowed that if by her 
intercession he was preserved from death he would 
raise a chapel to her honour on the narrow ledge of 
rock above. No sooner had he made this vow than the 
storm subsided, and safety was once more assured. In 

334 



How St Convoyon Stole the Relics 

the ancient archives of Le Faouet we read that on the 
6th of July, 1489, John of Toulboudou bought of John 
of Bouteville, Lord of Faouet, a piece of ground on the 
flank of the Roche- Marche- Bran, twenty-five feet by 
sixteen feet, on which to build a chapel to the honour of 
St Barbe, and there the chapel stands to this day. 

How St Convoyon Stole the Relics 
St Convoyon, first Abbot of Redon (or Rodon) and 
Bishop of Quimper, was of noble birth. He was born 
near Saint- Malo and educated at Vannes under Bishop 
Reginald, who ordained him as deacon and afterward 
as priest. Five clerks attached themselves to him, and 
the company went to dwell together in a forest near the 
river Vilaine, finally establishing themselves at Redon. 
The lord of that district was very favourably inclined 
toward the monastery and sent his son to be educated 
there, and when he himself fell sick and believed his 
last hours to be nigh he caused himself to be carried 
to this religious house, where his hair was shaven to 
the monastic pattern. Contrary to expectation, he re- 
covered, and after settling his affairs at his castle he 
returned to Redon, where he died at a later date. St 
Convoyon had some difficulty in obtaining confirmation 
of the grants given to him by this seigneur. He set 
out with a disciple named Gwindeluc to seek the consent 
of Louis the Pious, taking with him a quantity of wax 
from his bees at Redon, intending to present it to 
the King, but he was refused admission to the royal 
presence. But Nomenoe, Governor of Brittany, visited 
Redon, and encouraged the Saint to endeavour once 
more to obtain the King's sanction, and this time Louis 
confirmed the grants. 

335 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

So the monastery of Redon was built and its church 
erected, but, as the chroniclers tell us, " there was no 
saintly corpse under its altar to act as palladium to the 
monastery and work miracles to attract pilgrims." 
Convoyon therefore set out for Angers, accompanied 
by two of his monks, and found lodging there with a 
pious man named Hildwall. The latter inquired as to 
the object of their visit to Angers, and with considerable 
hesitation, and only after extracting a promise of secrecy, 
Convoyon confessed that they had come on a body- 
snatching expedition. He asked his friend's advice as 
to what relics they should endeavour to secure. Hild- 
wall told him that interred in the cathedral were the 
bones of St Apothemius, a bishop, of whom nothing 
was known save that he was a saint. His bones lay in 
a stone coffin which had a heavy lid. Hildwall added 
that several monks had attempted to steal the relics, 
but in vain. Convoyon and his monks bided their time 
for three days, and then on a dark night, armed with 
crowbars, they set out on their gruesome mission. 
They reached the cathedral, entered, and, after singing 
praises and hymns, raised the coffin lid. Securing the 
bones, they made off with them as quickly as possible, 
and in due course reached Redon with them in safety. 
The reception of the relics was celebrated by the monks 
with great pomp and ceremony. Miracles were at once 
performed, and the popularity of St Apothemius was 
firmly established. 

When the Bishop of Vannes died, in 837, the see was 
filled by Susannus, who obtained it by bribery. Con- 
voyon, grieved and indignant at the prevalence of 
corruption in the Church, urged Nomenoe to summon 
a council of bishops and abbots and endeavour to put 

336 



CONVOYON AND HIS MONKS CARRY OFF THE RELICS OF 
ST APOTHEMIUS 



i 




St Convoyon 

a stop to these deplorable practices. At this council 
the canons against simony were read ; but the bishops 
retorted that they did not sell Holy Orders, and ex- 
pected no fees — though they took presents ! Susannus 
was, naturally enough, most emphatic about this. At 
length it was decided that a deputation should be sent 
to Rome to obtain an authoritative statement on the 
point, and that it should consist of Susannus of Vannes, 
Felix of Quimper, and Convoyon, who was to carry 
" gold crowns inlaid with jewels " as a gift from 
Nomenoe to the Pope. The decision given by Pope 
Leo on the matter is far from clear. The Nantes 
chronicle asserts that Leo made Convoyon a duke, and 
gave him permission to wear a gold coronet. He also 
presented him with a valuable gift — the bones of 
St Marcellinus, Bishop of Rome and martyr, which 
Convoyon took back with him to Redon and deposited 
in his church there. 

On a later day Nomenoe raised the standard of revolt 
against Charles the Bald of France — a circumstance 
alluded to in our historical sketch. He ravaged Poitou 
with sword and flame, but respected the abbey of Saint- 
Florent, though, to insult Charles, he forced the monks 
to place a statue of himself on their tower, with the face 
turned defiantly toward France. During Nomenoe's 
absence the monks sent news of his action to the 
hairless monarch, who tore down the statue and erected 
a white stone figure " of ludicrous appearance," its 
mocking face turned toward Brittany. In revenge 
Nomenoe burned Saint- Florent to the ground and carried 
off the spoils to enrich the abbey of Redon. The 
success of the Breton chief forced Charles to come to 
terms. Nomenoe and his son, it was agreed, should 

y 337 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

assume the insignia of royalty and hold Rennes, Nantes, 
and all Brittany. 

Convoyon, as we have seen, benefited by the spoils won 
by the Breton champion. Later, as his abbey at 
Redon was situated by a tidal river, and was thus 
exposed to the ravages of the Normans, he and his 
monks moved farther inland to Plelan. There he died 
and was buried, about a.d. 868, but his body was after- 
ward removed to Redon, where he had lived and 
laboured so long. His relics were dispersed during the 
troublous times of the Revolution. 

Tivisiau, the Shepherd Saint 

St Tivisiau, or, more correctly, Turiau, has a large 
parish, as, although he was Bishop of Dol, we find him 
venerated as patron saint as far west as Landivisiau. 
He belongs to the earlier half of the seventh century, 
and, unlike most other Armorican ascetics, was of Breton 
origin, his father, Lelian, and his mother, Mageen, being 
graziers on the borders of the romantic and beautiful 
forest of Broceliande. The young Tivisiau was set to 
watch the sheep, and as he did so he steeped his soul in 
the beauty of the wonderful forest land about him, and 
his thoughts formed themselves into lays, which he 
sang as he tended his flock, for, like that other shepherd 
of old, King David, his exquisite voice could clothe his 
beautiful thoughts. The monastery of Balon stood 
near the lad's home, and often he would leave his sheep 
in the wilderness and steal away to listen to the monks 
chanting. Sometimes he joined in the service, and one 
day the Bishop of Dol, paying a visit to this outlying 
portion of his diocese, heard the sweet, clear notes of 
the boy's voice soaring above the lower tones of the 

338 



ST TIVISIAU, THE SHEPHERD SAINT 



Tivisiau the Shepherd Saint 

monks. Enthralled by its beauty, the Bishop made 
inquiries as to who the singer was, and Tivisiau being 
brought forward, the prelate asked him to sing to him. 
Again and again did he sing, till at last the Bishop, 
who had lingered as long as he might in the little out- 
of-the-world monastery to listen to th^ young songster, 
was obliged to take his departure. The boy's personality 
had, however, so won his affection that he arranged 
with the monks of Balon that he should take him to 
Dol, and so it came about that Tivisiau was educated 
at that ancient religious centre, where his voice was 
carefully trained. The Bishop made him his suffragan, 
and, later Abbot of Dol, and when at length he came to 
relinquish the burden of his office he named Tivisiau as 
his successor. 

The story provides a noteworthy example of the power 
exercised in early times by a beautiful voice. But this 
love of music and the susceptibility to the emotion it 
calls forth are not peculiar to any century of Celtdom. 
Love of music, and the temperament that can hear the 
voice of the world's beauty, in music, in poetry, in the 
wild sea that breaks on desolate shores, or in the hushed 
wonder of hills and valleys, is as much a part of the 
Celt as are the thews and the sinews that have helped 
to carry him through the hard days of toil and poverty 
that have been the lot of so many of his race in their 
struggle for existence — whether in the far-off Outer 
Isles of the mist-wreathed and mystic west coast of 
Scotland, or among the Welsh mountains, or in pic- 
turesque Brittany, or in the distressful, beautiful, sorrow- 
haunted Green Isle. 

At Landivisiau one finds much exquisite carving in 
the south porch, which is all that remains of the early 

339 



Legends ®f Romances of Brittany 

building to show how beautiful must have been the 
church to which it belonged. There is also a very- 
ancient and picturesque fountain, known to tradition as 
that of St Tivisiau. 

St Nennocha 

The legend of Nennocha is held to be pure fable, but 
is interesting nevertheless. It tells how a king in Wales, 
called Breochan, had fourteen sons, who all deserted 
him to preach the Gospel. Breochan then made a vow 
that if God would grant him another child he would 
give to the Church a tithe of all his gold and his lands, 
and later on his wife, Moneduc, bore him a daughter, 
whom they baptized Nennocha. Nennocha was sent 
away to a foster father and mother, returning home at 
the age of fourteen. A prince of Ireland sought her 
hand in marriage, but St Germain, who was then at her 
father's palace, persuaded her to embrace the religious 
life, and the disappointed King sadly gave his consent. 
A great multitude assembled to accompany the maiden 
in her renunciation of the world, " numbering in its 
midst four bishops and many priests and virgins." We 
are told how they all took ship together and sailed to 
Brittany. The Breton king gave the princess land at 
Ploermel, and there she founded a great monastery, 
where she lived till death claimed her. 

St Enora 

Several old Breton songs tell us the story of St Enora 
(or Honora), the wife of Efflam (already alluded to in 
the chapter on Arthurian legend), but these accounts 
vary very considerably in their details. One account 

340 



St Enora 

giving us "stern facts" relates how St Efflam was 
betrothed for political reasons to Enora, a Saxon prin- 
cess, and speaks of how impossible it was to expect 
that such a union could prove anything but disastrous 
when it was not a love match. So, whether partly to 
escape from a married life which jarred his suscepti- 
bilities, or entirely on account of his religious asceticism, 
Efflam left his wife and crossed to Brittany to lead the 
life of a religious hermit. One of the Breton songs gives 
the beginning of the story in a much more picturesque 
way. It relates how Enora, " beautiful as an angel," 
had many suitors, but would give her hand to none save 
the Prince Efflam, "son of a stranger King." But 
Efflam, torn by the desire to lead the religious life, far 
away from the world, rose "in the midst of the night, 
his wedding night," and crept softly away, no one seeing 
him save his faithful dog, which he loved. So he came 
to the seashore and crossed to Brittany. The story of 
his landing and his meeting with Arthur has already 
been told, and we have seen how his fate was once more, 
by divine agency, linked with that of Enora. The song 
tells us how the angels carried the princess over the sea 
and set her on the door-sill of her husband's cell. Pre- 
sently she awoke, and, finding herself there, she knocked 
three times and cried out to her husband that she was 
"his sweetheart, his wife," whom God had sent. St 
Efflam, knowing her voice, came out, and "with many 
godly words he took her hand in his." One account 
says that he sent her to the south of Brittany to found a 
convent for nuns, as he wished to devote his life entirely 
to the service of God and the contemplation of nature. 
All versions agree on the point that he built a hut for 
her beside his own, and one story relates how he made 

341 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

her wear a veil over her face and only spoke to her 
through the door ! But one Breton song with more 
of the matter of poetry in it than the rest tells how 
the little hut he built for her was shaded by green bushes 
and sheltered by a rock, and that there they lived, side 
by side, for a long and happy time, while the fame of 
the miracles they wrought spread through the land. 
Then one night some sailors on the sea "saw the sky 
open and heard a burst of heavenly music," and next 
day when a poor woman took her sick child to Enora 
to beg for her aid she could get no response, and looking 
in she beheld the royal lady lying dead. The humble 
place was alight with her radiance, and near her a little 
boy in white was kneeling. The woman then ran to 
tell St Efflam of her discovery, only to find that he too 
was lying dead in his cell. 

Corseul the Accursed 

The town of Corseul has sunk into insignificance, and 
its failure to achieve prosperity is said to be due to its 
covert hostility to St Malo — or, as he is more correctly 
called, Machutes. Coming to Brittany on missionary 
enterprise, the Saint found that Christianity had not 
penetrated to the district of Corseul, where the old 
pagan worship still obtained. He therefore decided 
that his work must lie chiefly among the Curiosolites 
of that land, and determined that his first celebration 
of Easter Mass there should take place in the very 
centre of the pagan worship, the temple of Haute- 
B^cherel. The people of the district received him 
coldly, but without open hostility, and he and his monks 
prepared for the Christian festival in the pagan shrine, 
to find to their dismay that they had omitted to bring 

342 



St Keenan 

either chalice or wine for the Eucharist. Several of 
the monks were sent into the town to buy these, but in 
all Corseul they could find no one willing to sell either 
cup or wine, because of the hostility of the idolatrous 
folk of the place. At last the Saint performed a miracle 
to provide these necessaries, but he never forgave the 
insult to his religion, and while he founded monasteries 
broadcast over his diocese he avoided Corseul, and as 
Christianity became more and more universal the pagan 
town gradually paid the penalty of its enmity to the 
cause of Christ. 

St Keenan 

St Keenan (sixth century) was surnamed Colodoc, or 
" He who loves to lose himself," a beautiful epitome of 
his character. As in so many instances in the chronicles 
of Breton hagiology, confusion regarding St Keenan 
has arisen among a multiplicity of chronicles. He 
seems to have been a native of Connaught, whence he 
crossed into Wales and became a disciple of Gildas. 
He was told to " go forward " carrying a little bell, until 
he reached a place called Ros-ynys, where the bell 
would ring of itself, and there he would find rest. He 
asked Gildas to provide him with a bell, but the abbot 
could only supply him with a small piece of metal. 
Keenan, however, blessed this, and it grew until it 
was large enough for a good bell to be cast from it. 
Thus equipped, the Saint set out, and journeyed until 
he reached an arm of the sea, where he sat down on 
the grass to rest. While lying at his ease he heard 
a herdsman call to his fellow : " Brother, have you seen 
my cows anywhere?" ''Yes," replied the other, "I 
saw them at Ros-ynys." Rejoicing greatly at finding 

343 



Legends &> Romances of Brittany 

himself in the vicinity of the place he sought, Keenan 
descended to the shore, which has since been called 
by his name. Greatly athirst, he struck a rock with 
his staff, and water gushed forth in answer to the stroke. 
Taking ship, he crossed the firth and entered a little 
wood. All at once, to his extreme joy, the bell he 
carried commenced to tinkle, and he knew he had 
reached the end of his journey — the valley of Ros- 
ynys, afterward St David's. 

Later, deciding to cross to Brittany with his disciples, 
Keenan dispatched some of his company to beg for 
corn for their journey from a merchant at Landegu. 
They met with a gruff refusal, but the merchant 
mockingly informed them they could have the corn 
if they carried off the whole of his barge-load. When 
the Saint embarked the barge broke its moorings and 
floated after him all the way ! He landed at Cleder, 
where he built a monastery, which he enriched with 
a copy of the Gospels transcribed by his own hand. 
The fatal contest between King Arthur and Modred, 
his nephew, caused Keenan to return to Britain, and 
he is said to have been present at the battle of Camelot 
and to have comforted Guinevere after the death of 
her royal husband, exhorting her to enter a convent. 
He afterward returned to Cinder, where he died. The 
monastery fell into ruin, and the place of his burial 
was forgotten, till one night an angel appeared in a 
vision to one of the inhabitants of Cinder and bade 
him exhume the bones of the Saint, which he would 
find at a certain spot. This the man did, and the relics 
were recovered. A fragment of them is preserved in 
the cathedral of Saint- Brieuc. St Keenan is popularly 
known in Brittany as St Ke, or St Quay. 

344 . 



St Bieuzy 



St Nicholas 

One very interesting and curious saint is St Nicholas, 
whose cult cannot be traced to any Christian source, 
and who is most probably the survival of some pagan 
divinity. He is specially the saint of seafaring men, 
and is believed to bring them good luck, asking nothing 
in return save that they shall visit his shrine whenever 
they happen to pass. This is a somewhat dilapidated 
chapel at LandeVennec, of which the seamen seem to 
show their appreciation, if one may judge from the 
fact that the little path leading up to it is exceedingly 
well worn. 

St Bieuzy 

St Bieuzy was a friend and disciple of St Gildas. Fly- 
ing from England at the coming of the Saxons, they 
crossed to Brittany and settled there, one of their 
favourite retreats being the exquisite La Roche-sur- 
Blavet, where they took up their abode in the shadow 
of the great rock and built a rough wooden shelter. 
The chapel there shows the ' bell ' of St Gildas, and 
by the river is a great boulder hollowed like a chair, 
where Bieuzy was wont to sit and fish. St Bieuzy, how- 
ever, possessed thaumaturgical resources of his own, 
having the gift of curing hydrophobia, and the hermit- 
age of La Roche-sur-Blavet became so thronged by 
those seeking his aid that only by making a private 
way to the top of the great rock could he obtain respite 
to say his prayers. This gift of his was the cause of 
his tragic death. One day as he was celebrating Mass 
the servant of a pagan chief ran into the chapel, crying 
out that his master's dogs had gone mad, and demanding 

345 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

that Bieuzy should come immediately and cure them. 
Bieuzy was unwilling to interrupt the sacred service 
and displeased at the irreverence of the demand, and 
the servant returned to his master, who rushed into 
the chapel and in his savage frenzy struck the Saint 
such a blow with his sword that he cleft his head in 
twain. The heroic Saint completed the celebration of 
Mass — the sword still in the wound — and then, followed 
by the whole congregation, he walked to the monastery 
of Rhuys, where he received the blessing of his beloved 
St Gildas, and fell dead at his feet. He was buried 
in the church, and a fountain at Rhuys was dedicated 
to him. It is satisfactory to note that the entire estab- 
lishment of the murderer of the Saint is said to have 
perished of hydrophobia ! 

St Leonorius 

St Leonorius, or Leonore (sixth century), was a disciple 
of St Iltud, of Wales, and was ordained by St Dubricus ; 
he crossed to Brittany in early life. The legend that 
most closely attaches to his name is one of the most 
beautiful of all the Breton beliefs, and is full of the 
poetry and romance that exist for the Celt in all the 
living things around him. The Saint and his monks 
had worked hard to till their ground — for the labours 
of holy men included many duties in addition to religious 
ministrations — but when they came to sow the seed they 
found that they had omitted to provide themselves with 
wheat ! All their labour seemed in vain, and they were 
greatly distressed as to what they would do for food if 
they had no harvest to look forward to, when suddenly 
they saw, perched on a little wayside cross, a tiny robin 
redbreast holding in its beak an ear of wheat ! The 

346 



St Patern 

monks joyfully took the grain, and, sowing it, reaped 
an abundant harvest ! Accounts vary somewhat in the 
details of this story. Some say that the bird led the 
monks to a store of grain, and others question the fact 
that the bird was a robin, but the popular idea is that 
the robin proffered the grain, and so universal and so 
strong is this belief that " Robin Redbreast's corn " 
is a byword in Brittany for "small beginnings that 
prosper." 

The Saint is said to have possessed the most marvellous 
attainments. We are told that he learnt the alphabet 
in one day, the "art of spelling" the following day, and 
calligraphy the next ! He is also said to have been a 
bishop at the age of fifteen. Tradition avers that he 
ploughed the land with stags, and that an altar was 
brought to him from the depth of the sea by two wild 
pigeons to serve for his ministrations. The circumstance 
that animals or birds were employed — predominantly 
the latter — as the divine means of rendering aid to the 
Saint is common to many of these legends. We thus 
have saintly romance linked with the ' friendly animals ' 
formula of folk-lore. 

St Patern 

Many quaint and pretty stories are told of the childhood 
and youth of St Patern, the patron saint of Vannes. 
His intense religious fervour was probably inherited 
from his father, Petranus, who, we are told, left his wife 
and infant son and crossed to Ireland to embrace the 
life religious. One day as his mother sat by the open 
window making a dress for her baby she was called 
away, and left the little garment lying on the sill. A 
bird flew past, and, attracted by the soft woollen stuff, 

347 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

carried it off to line its nest. A year later when the 
nest was destroyed the dress was discovered as fresh 
and clean as when it was stolen — a piece of sym- 
bolism foretelling the purity and holiness of the future 
saint. 

As soon as the child could speak his mother sent him to 
school. She hoped great things from the quiet, earnest 
boy, in whom she had observed signs of fervent piety. 
One day he came home and asked his mother where his 
father was. " All the other boys have fathers," he said; 
"where is mine?" His mother sadly told him that his 
father, wishing to serve God more perfectly than it was 
possible for him to do at home, had gone to Ireland to 
become a monk. "Thither shall I go too, when I'm a 
man," said Patern, and he made a resolve that when he 
grew up he would also enter a monastery. Accordingly, 
having finished his studies in the monastery of Rhuys, 
he set out for Britain, where he founded two religious 
houses, and then crossed to Ireland, where he met his 
father. Eventually he returned to Vannes, as one of 
the nine bishops of Brittany, but he did not agree with 
his brethren regarding certain ecclesiastical laws, and 
at last, not wishing to "lose his patience," he abandoned 
his diocese and went to France, where he ended his days 
as a simple monk. 

There is an interesting legend to account for the founda- 
tion of the church of St Patern at Vannes. We are 
told how for three years after Patern left Vannes the 
people were afflicted by a dreadful famine. No rain 
fell, and the distress was great. At length it was 
remembered that Patern had departed without giving 
the people his blessing, and at once "a pilgrimage set 
forth to bring back his sacred body, that it might rest 

348 



St Samson 

in his own episcopal town." But the body of the blessed 
Patern " refused to be removed," until one of the 
pilgrims, who had before denied the bishop a certain 
piece of ground, promised to gift it to his memory and 
to build a church on it to the Saint's honour, whereupon 
the body became light enough to be lifted from the 
grave and conveyed to Vannes. No sooner had the 
sacred corpse entered Vannes than rain fell in torrents. 
Hagiology abounds in instances of this description, which 
in many respects bring it into line with mythology. 

67 Samson 

We have already related the story of Samson's birth. 
Another legend regarding him tells how one day when 
the youths attached to the monastery where he dwelt 
were out winnowing corn one of the monks was bitten 
by an adder and fainted with fright. Samson ran to 
St Iltud to tell the news, with tears in his eyes, and 
begged to be allowed to attempt the cure of the monk. 
Iltud gave him permission, and Samson, full of faith and 
enthusiasm, rubbed the bite with oil, and by degrees 
the monk recovered. After this Samson's fame grew 
apace. Indeed, we are told that the monks grew jealous 
of him and attempted to poison him. He was ordained 
a bishop at York, and lived a most austere life, though 
his humanity was very apparent in his love for animals. 
He was made abbot of a monastery, and endeavoured 
to instil temperance into the monks, but at length gave 
up the attempt in despair and settled in a cave at the 
mouth of the Severn. Then one night "a tall man" 
appeared to him in a vision, and bade him go to 
Armorica, saying to him — so the legend goes: ' 'Thou 
goest by the sea, and where thou wilt disembark thou 

349 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

shalt find a well. Over this thou wilt build a church, 
and around it will group the houses forming the city of 
which thou wilt be a bishop." All of which came to 
pass, and for ages the town has been known as the 
episcopal city of Dol. Accompanied by forty monks, 
Samson crossed the Channel and landed in the Bay of 
Saint-Brieuc. One version of the story tells us that the 
Saint and numerous other monks fled from Britain to 
escape the Saxon tyranny, and that Samson and six 
of his suffragans who crossed the sea with him were 
known as the ' Seven Saints of Brittany.' 

Brittany s Lawyer Saint 

Few prosperous and wealthy countries produce saints 
in any great number, and in proof of the converse of 
this we find much hagiology in Brittany and Ireland. 
Let lawyers take note that while many saints spring 
from among the bourgeoisie they include few legal men. 
An outstanding exception to this rule is St Yves (or 
Yvo), probably the best known, and almost certainly 
the most beloved, saint in Brittany. St Yves is the only 
regularly canonized Breton saint. He was born at 
Kermartin, near Treguier, in 1253, his father being lord 
of that place. The house where he first saw the light 
was pulled down in 1834, but the bed in which he 
was born is still preserved and shown. His name is 
borne by the majority of the inhabitants of the districts 
of Treguier and Saint-Brieuc, and one authority tells us 
how "in the Breton tongue his praises are sung as 
follows : 

N'hen eus ket en Breiz, n'hen eusket unan, 
N'hen eus ket uer Zant evel Sant Erwan. 



350 



Brittany's Lawyer Saint 
This, in French, runs : 

II n'y a pas en Bretagne, il n'y en a pas un, 
II n'y a pas un saint comme saint Yves." 

He began his legal education when he was fourteen, 
and studied law in the schools of Paris, becoming an 
ecclesiastical judge, and later (1285) an ordained priest 
and incumbent of Tredrig. Subsequently he was made 
incumbent of Lohanec, which post he held till his death. 
As a judge he possessed a quality rare in those days 
— he was inaccessible to bribery ! That this was 
appreciated we find in the following bon mot : 

Saint Yves etait Breton, 
Avocat et pas larron : 
Chose rare, se dit-on. 

He invariably endeavoured to induce disputants to settle 
their quarrels ' out of court ' if possible, and applied his 
talents to defending the cause of the poor and oppressed, 
without fee. He was known as 'the poor man's 
advocate,' and to-day in the department of the C6tes-du- 
Nord, when a debtor repudiates his debt, the creditor 
will pay for a Mass to St Yves, in the hope that he will 
cause the defaulter to die within the year ! St Yves de 
Verite is the special patron of lawyers, and is repre- 
sented in the mortier, or lawyer's cap, and robe. 
St Yves spent most of his income in charity, turning his 
house into an orphanage, and many are the stories told 
of his humanity and generosity. The depth of his 
sympathy, and its practical result, are shown in an 
incident told us of how one morning he found a poor, 
half-naked man lying on his doorstep shivering with 
cold, having spent the night there. Yves gave up his 

35i 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

bed to the beggar the next night, and himself slept on 
the doorstep, desiring to learn by personal experience 
the sufferings of the poor. On another occasion, while 
being fitted with a new coat, he caught sight of a 
miserable man on the pavement outside who was clad 
in rags and tatters that showed his skin through many 
rents. Yves tore off the new coat and, rushing out, 
gave it to the beggar, saying to the astonished and 
horrified tailor: " There is plenty of wear still in my 
old coats. I will content myself with them." His pity 
and generosity led him to still further kindness when he 
was visiting a hospital and saw how ill-clad some of the 
patients were, for he actually gave them the clothes he 
was wearing at the time, wrapping himself in a coverlet 
till he had other garments sent to him from home. He 
was wont to walk beside the ploughmen in the fields and 
teach them prayers. He would sit on the moors beside 
the shepherd-boys and instruct them in the use of the 
rosary ; and often he would stop little children in the street, 
and gain their interest and affection by his gentleness. 
His shrewd legal mind was of service to the poor in 
other ways than in the giving of advice. A story is 
told of how two rogues brought a heavy chest to a 
widow, declaring it to contain twelve hundred pieces 
of gold and asking her to take charge of it. Some 
weeks later one of them returned, claimed the box, and 
removed it. A few days later the second of the men 
arrived and asked for the box, and when the poor 
woman could not produce it he took her to court and 
sued her for the gold it had contained. Yves, on 
hearing that the case was going against the woman, 
offered to defend her, and pleaded that his client was 
ready to restore the gold, but only to both the men who 

352 




ST YVES INSTRUCTING SHEPHERD-BOYS IN THE USE OF 

THE ROSARY 352 



St Budoc of Dol 



had committed it to her charge, and that therefore both 
must appear to claim it. This was a blow to the rogues, 
who attempted to escape, and, failing to do so, at length 
confessed that they had plotted to extort money from 
the widow, the chest containing nothing but pieces of 
old iron. 

Yves was so eloquent and earnest a preacher that 
he was continually receiving requests to attend other 
churches, which he never refused. On the Good Friday 
before his death he preached in seven different parishes. 
He died at the age of fifty, and was buried at Treguier. 
Duke John V, who founded the Chapelle du Due, had a 
special regard for Yves, and erected a magnificent tomb 
to his memory, which was for three centuries the object 
of veneration in Brittany. 

During the French Revolution the reliquary of St Yves 
was destroyed, but his bones were preserved and have 
been re-enshrined at Treguier. His last will and testa- 
ment — leaving all his goods to the poor — is preserved, 
together with his breviary, in the sacristy of the church 
at Minihy. 

The Saint is generally represented with a cat as his 
symbol — typifying the lawyer's watchful character — but 
this hardly seems a fitting emblem for such a beautiful 
character as St Yves. 

SI Budoc of Dol 

The legend of St Budoc of Dol presents several peculiar 
features. It was first recited by professional minstrels, 
then " passed into the sanctuary, and was read in prose 
in cathedral and church choirs as a narrative of facts," 
although it seems curious that it could have been held 
to be other than fiction. 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

A Count of Goelc, in Brittany, sought in marriage 
Azenor, 4 'tall as a palm, bright as a star," but they had 
not been wedded a year when Azenor's father married 
again, and his new wife, jealous of her stepdaughter, 
hated her and determined to ruin her. Accordingly she 
set to work to implant suspicion as to Azenor's purity 
in the minds of her father and husband, and the Count 
shut his wife up in a tower and forbade her to speak to 
anyone. Here all the poor Countess could do was to 
pray to her patron saint, the Holy Bridget of Ireland. 
Her stepmother, however, was not content with the 
evil she had already wrought, and would not rest until 
she had brought about Azenor's death. She continued 
her calumnies, and at length the Count assembled all his 
barons and his court to judge his wife. The unfortunate 
and innocent Countess was brought into the hall for 
trial, and, seated on a little stool in the midst of the 
floor, the charges were read to her and she was called 
upon to give her reply. With tears she protested her 
innocence, but in spite of the fact that no proof could 
be brought against her she was sent in disgrace to her 
father in Brest. He in turn sat in judgment upon her, 
and condemned her to death, the sentence being that 
she should be placed in a barrel and cast into the sea, 
u to be carried where the winds and tides listed." We 
are told that the barrel floated five months, " tossing up 
and down " — during which time Azenor was supplied 
with food by an angel, who passed it to her through the 
bung-hole. 

During these five months, the legend continues, the 
poor Countess became a mother, the angel and St 
Bridget watching over her. As soon as the child was 
born his mother made the sign of the Cross upon him, 

354 



St Budoc of Dol 

made him kiss a crucifix, and patiently waited the 
coming of an opportunity to have him baptized. The 
child began to speak while in the cask. At last the 
barrel rolled ashore at Youghal Harbour, in the county 
of Cork. An Irish peasant, thinking he had found a 
barrel of wine, was proceeding to tap it with a gimlet 
when he heard a voice from within say : " Do not 
injure the cask." Greatly astonished, the man demanded 
who was inside, and the voice replied : " I am a child 
desiring baptism. Go at once to the abbot of the 
monastery to which this land belongs, and bid him come 
and baptize me." The Irishman ran to the abbot with 
the message, but he not unnaturally declined to believe 
the story, till, with a true Hibernian touch, the peasant 
asked him if it were likely that he would have told ' his 
reverence ' anything about his find had there been 
4 'anything better than a baby" in the barrel! Accord- 
ingly the abbot hastened to the shore, opened the cask, 
and freed the long-suffering Countess of Goelc and her 
son, the latter of whom he christened by the name of 
Budoc, and took under his care. 

Meantime, the " wicked stepmother," falling ill and 
being at the point of death, became frightened when she 
thought of her sin against Azenor, and confessed the 
lies by which she had wrought the ruin of the Countess. 
The Count, overcome by remorse and grief, set out in 
quest of his wife. Good luck led him to Ireland, 
where he disembarked at Youghal and found his lost 
ones. With great rejoicing he had a stately ship 
made ready, and prepared to set out for Brittany with 
Azenor and Budoc, but died before he could embark. 
Azenor remained in Ireland and devoted herself to good 
works and to the training of her son, who from an early 

355 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

age resolved to embrace the religious life, and was in 
due course made a monk by the Abbot of Youghal. 
His mother died, and on the death of the Abbot of 
Youghal he was elected to rule the monastery. Later, 
upon the death of the King of Ireland, the natives 
raised Budoc to the temporal and spiritual thrones, 
making him King of Ireland and Bishop of Armagh. 
After two years he wished to retire from these honours, 
but the people were " wild with despair" at the tidings, 
and surrounded the palace lest he should escape. One 
night, while praying in his metropolitan church, an angel 
appeared to him, bidding him betake himself to Brittany. 
Going down to the seashore, it was indicated to him 
that he must make the voyage in a stone trough. On 
entering this it began to move, and he was borne across 
to Brittany, landing at Porspoder, in the diocese of 
Leon. The people of that district drew the stone coffer 
out of the water, and built a hermitage and a chapel for 
the Saint's convenience. Budoc dwelt for one year at 
Porspoder, but, " disliking the roar of the waves," he 
had his stone trough mounted on a cart, and yoking two 
oxen to it he set forth, resolved to follow them wherever 
they might go and establish himself at whatever place 
they might halt. The cart broke down at Plourin, and 
there Budoc settled for a short time ; but trouble with 
disorderly nobles forced him to depart, and this time 
he went to Dol, where he was well received by St 
Malglorious, then its bishop, who soon after resigned his 
see to Budoc. The Saint ruled at Dol for twenty years, 
and died early in the seventh century. 
Another Celtic myth of the same type is to be found on 
the shores of the Firth of Forth. The story in question 
deals with the birth of St Mungo, or St Kentigern, the 

356 



c Fatal Children ' Legends 

patron saint of Glasgow. His mother was Thenaw, 
the Christian daughter of the pagan King Lot of 
Lothian, brother-in-law of King Arthur, from his 
marriage with Arthur's sister Margawse. Thus the 
famous Gawaine would be Thenaw's brother. Thenaw 
met Ewen, the son of Eufeurien, King of Cumbria, and 
fell deeply in love with him, but her father discovered 
her disgrace and ordered her to be cast headlong from 
the summit of Traprain Law, once known as Dunpender, 
a mountain in East Lothian. A kindly fate watched 
over the princess, however, and she fell so softly from 
the eminence that she was uninjured. Such Christian 
subjects as Lot possessed begged her life. But if her 
father might have relented his Druids were inexorable. 
They branded her as a sorceress, and she was doomed 
to death by drowning. She was accordingly rowed out 
from Aberlady Bay to the vicinity of the Isle of May, 
where, seated in a skin boat, she was left to the mercy 
of the waves. In this terrible situation she cast herself 
upon the grace of Heaven, and her frail craft was wafted 
up the Forth, where it drifted ashore near Culross. At 
this spot Kentigern was born, and the mother and child 
were shortly afterward discovered by some shepherds, 
who placed them under the care of St Serf, Abbot 
of Culross. To these events the date a.d. 516 is 
assigned. 

■ Fatal Children ' Legends 

This legend is, of course, closely allied with those which 
recount the fate and adventures of the 1 fatal children.' 
Like GEdipus, Romulus, Perseus, and others, Budoc 
and Kentigern are obviously 'fatal children,' as is 
evidenced by the circumstances of their birth. We 

357 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

are not told that King Lot or Az6nor's father had 
been warned that if their daughters had a son they 
would be slain by that child, but it is probably only 
the saintly nature of the subject of the stories which 
caused this circumstance to be omitted. Danae, the 
mother of Perseus, we remember, was, when disgraced, 
shut up in a chest with her child, and committed to the 
waves, which carried her to the island of Seriphos, 
where she was duly rescued. Romulus and his brother 
Remus were thrown into the Tiber, and escaped a 
similar fate. The Princess Desonelle and her twin 
sons, in the old English metrical romance of Sir 
Torrent of Portugal, are also cast into the sea, but 
succeed in making the shore of a far country. All 
these children grow up endowed with marvellous beauty 
and strength, but their doom is upon them, and after 
numerous adventures they slay their fathers or some 
other unfortunate relative. But the most character- 
istic part of what seems an almost universal legend 
is that these children are born in the most obscure 
circumstances, afterward rising to a height of splendour 
which makes up for all they previously suffered. It is 
not necessary to explain nowadays that this is charac- 
teristic of nearly all sun-myths. The sun is born in 
obscurity, and rises to a height of splendour at midday. 
Thus in the majority of these legends we find the sun 
personified. It is not sufficient to object that such an 
elucidation smacks too much of the tactics of Max 
Muller to be accepted by modern students of folk-lore. 
The student of comparative myth who does not make 
use of the best in all systems of mythological elucidation 
is undone, for no one system will serve for all examples. 
To those who may object, " Oh, but Kentigern was a 

358 



Miraculous Crossings 

real person," I reply that I know many myths concerning 
' real ' people. For the matter of that, we assist in the 
manufacture of these every day of our lives, and it is 
quite a fallacy that legends cannot spring up concerning 
veritable historical personages, and even around living, 
breathing folk. And for the rest of it mythology and 
hagiology are hopelessly intermingled in their motifs. 

Miraculous Crossings 

Another Celtic saint besides Budoc possessed a stone 
boat. He is St Baldred, who, like Kentigern, hails 
from the Firth of Forth, and dwelt on the Bass Rock. 
He is said to have chosen this drear abode as a refuse 
from the eternal wars between the Picts and the Scots 
toward the close of the seventh century. From this 
point of vantage, and probably during seasons of truce, 
he rowed to the mainland to minister to the spiritual 
wants of the rude natives of Lothian. Inveresk seems 
to have been the eastern border of his 'parish.' Tradi- 
tion says that he was the second Bishop of Glasgow, 
and thus the successor of Kentigern, but the lack of 
all reliable data concerning the western see subsequent 
to the death of Glasgow's patron saint makes it impos- 
sible to say whether this statement is authentic or 
otherwise. Many miracles are attributed to Baldred, 
not the least striking of which is that concerning a rock 
to the east of Tantallon Castle, known as ' St Baldred's 
Boat.' At one time this rock was situated between the 
Bass and the adjacent mainland, and was a fruitful 
source of shipwreck. Baldred, pitying the mariners 
who had to navigate the Firth, and risk this danger, 
rowed out to the rock and mounted upon it ; whereupon, 
at his simple nod, it was lifted up, and, like a ship 

359 



Legends @f Romances of Brittany 

driven by the wind, was wafted to the nearest shore, 
where it thenceforth remained. This rock is sometimes 
called 'St Baldred's Coble,' or 'Cock-boat.' This species 
of miracle is more commonly discovered in the annals of 
hagiology than in those of pure myth, although in legend 
we occasionally find the landscape altered by order of 
supernatural or semi-supernatural beings. 
One rather striking instance of miraculous crossing is 
that of St Noyala, who is said to have crossed to 
Brittany on the leaf of a tree, accompanied by her 
nurse. She was beheaded at Beignon, but walked to 
Pontivy carrying her head in her hands. A chapel 
at Pontivy is dedicated to her, and was remarkable in 
the eighteenth century for several interesting paintings 
on a gold ground depicting this legend. 
We find this incident of miraculous crossing occurring 
in the stories of many of the Breton saints. A note- 
worthy instance is that of St Tugdual, who, with his 
followers, crossed in a ship which vanished when they 
disembarked. Still another example is found in the 
case of St Vougas, or Vie, who is specially venerated 
in Treguennec. He is thought to have been an Irish 
bishop, and is believed to have mounted a stone and 
sailed across to Brittany upon it. This particular 
version of the popular belief may have sprung from the 
fact that there is a rock off the coast of Brittany called 
'the Ship,' from a fancied resemblance to one. In 
course of time this rock was affirmed to have been the 
ship of St Vougas. 

Az&nor the Pale 

There is a story of another Az£nor, who, according to 
local history, married Yves, heritor of Kermorvan, in the 
360 



Az&ior the Pale 

year 1400. A popular ballad of Cornouaille tells how 
this Az^nor, who was surnamed ' the Pale,' did not love 
her lord, but gave her heart to another, the Clerk of 
Mezl^an. 

One day she sat musing by a forest fountain, dressed in 
a robe of yellow silk, wantonly plucking the flowers 
which grew on the mossy parapet of the spring and 
binding them into a bouquet for the Clerk of Mezl6an. 
The Seigneur Yves, passing by on his white steed at 
a hand-gallop, observed her "with the corner of his 
eye," and conceived a violent love for her. 
The Clerk of Mezlean had been true to Az^nor for many 
a day, but he was poor and her parents would have none 
of him. 

One morning as Azenor descended to the courtyard she 
observed great preparations on foot as if for a festival. 
" For what reason," she said, "has this great fire been 
kindled, and why have they placed two spits in front of 
it? What is happening in this house, and why have 
these fiddlers come ? " 

Those whom she asked smiled meaningly. 

" To-morrow is your wedding-day," said they. 

At this Azenor the Pale grew still paler, and was long 

silent. 

"If that be so," she said, " it will be well that I seek my 
marriage chamber early, for from my bed I shall not be 
raised except for burial." 

That night her little page stole through the window. 
" Lady," he said, "a great and brilliant company come 
hither. The Seigneur Yves is at their head, and behind 
him ride cavaliers and a long train of gentlemen. He 
is mounted on a white horse, with trappings of gold." 
Azenor wept sorely. 

361 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

" Unhappy the hour that he comes ! " she cried, wringing 
her hands. " Unhappy be my father and mother who 
have done this thing ! " 

Sorely wept Az^nor when going to the church that day. 
She set forth with her intended husband, riding on the 
crupper of his horse. Passing by Mezl^an she said : 
" I pray you let me enter this house, Seigneur, for I am 
fatigued with the journey, and would rest for a space." 
"That may not be to-day," he replied; " to-morrow, if 
you wish it." 

At this Az^nor wept afresh, but was comforted by her 
little page. At the church door one could see that her 
heart was breaking. 

" Approach, my daughter," said the aged priest. " Draw 

near, that I may place the ring upon your finger." 

" Father," replied Az^nor, " I beg of you not to force 

me to wed him whom I do not love." 

"These are wicked words, my child. The Seigneur 

Yves is wealthy, he has gold and silver, chateaux and 

broad lands, but the Clerk of Mezl6an is poor." 

" Poor he may be, Father," murmured Azenor, "yet had 

I rather beg my bread with him than dwell softly with 

this other." 

But her relentless parents would not hearken to her 
protestations, and she was wed to the Lord Yves. On 
arriving at her husband's house she was met by the 
Seigneurs mother, who received her graciously, but 
only one word did Az6nor speak, that old refrain that 
runs through all ballad poetry. 

"Tell me, O my mother," she said, "is my bed made?" 
" It is, my child," replied the chatelaine. " It is next 
the Chamber of the Black Cavalier. Follow me and I 
will take you thither." 
362 



Az&ior the Pale 

Once within the chamber, Azenor, wounded to the soul, 

fell upon her knees, her fair hair falling about her. 

" My God," she cried, " have pity upon me ! " 

The Seigneur Yves sought out his mother. 

" Mother of mine," said he, " where is my wife ? " 

"She sleeps in her high chamber," replied his mother. 

" Go to her and console her, for she is sadly in need of 

comfort." 

The Seigneur entered. " Do you sleep?" he asked 
Azenor. 

She turned in her bed and looked fixedly at him. 
"Good morrow to you, widower," she said. 
" By the saints," cried he, "what mean you? Why do 
you call me widower ? " 

" Seigneur," she said meaningly, " it is true that you are 
not a widower yet, but soon you will be." 
Then, her mind wandering, she continued : " Here is my 
wedding gown ; give it, I pray you, to my little servant, 
who has been so good to me and who carried my letters 
to the Clerk of Mezlean. Here is a new cloak which 
my mother broidered ; give it to the priests who will 
sing Masses for my soul. For yourself you may take 
my crown and chaplet. Keep them well, I pray, as a 
souvenir of our wedding." 

Who is that who arrives at the hamlet as the clocks are 
striking the hour ? Is it the Clerk of Mezlean? Too 
late ! Azenor is dead. 

" I have seen the fountain beside which Azenor plucked 
flowers to make a bouquet for her 4 sweet Clerk of 
Mezlean,' " says the Vicomte Hersart de la Villemarque, 
"when the Seigneur of Kermorvan passed and withered 
with his glance her happiness and these flowers of 
love. Mezlean is in ruins, no one remains within its 

363 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

gates, surmounted by a crenellated and machicolated 
gallery." 

There is a subscription at the end of the ballad to the 
effect that it was written on a round table in the Manor 
of H6nan, near Pont-Aven, by the "bard of the old 
Seigneur," who dictated it to a damsel. " How comes 
it," asks Villemarque, "that in the Middle Ages we 
still find a seigneur of Brittany maintaining a domestic 
bard ? " There is no good reason why a domestic bard 
should not have been found in the Brittany of medieval 
times, since such singers of the household were main- 
tained in Ireland and Scotland until a relatively late 
date — up to the period of the '45 in the case of the 
latter country. 

St Pol of Leon 

St Pol (or Paul) of L£on (sixth century) was the son 
of a Welsh prince, and, like so many of the Breton 
saints, he was a disciple of St Iltud, being also a fellow- 
student of St Samson and St Gildas. At the age of 
sixteen he left his home and crossed the sea to Brittany. 
In the course of time other young men congregated 
round him, and he became their superior, receiving holy 
orders along with twelve companions. Near these 
young monks dwelt Mark, the King of Vannes, who 
invited Pol to visit his territory and instruct his people. 
The Saint went to Vannes and was well received, but 
after dwelling for some time in that part of the country 
he felt the need of solitude once more, and entreated 
the King that he might have permission to depart and 
that he might be given a bell ; "for," as the chronicler 
tells us, "at that time it was customary for kings to 
have seven bells rung before they sat down to meat." 

364 



St Pol of Leon 



The King, however, vexed that Pol should wish to 
leave him, refused to give him the bell, so the Saint 
went without it. Before leaving Vannes Pol visited 
his sister, who lived in solitude with other holy women 
on a little island, but when the time came for him to 
depart she wept and entreated him to stay, and the 
Saint remained with her for another three days. When 
he was finally taking leave of her, she begged him 
that as he was " powerful with God" he would grant 
her a request, and when Pol asked what it was she 
desired him to do, she explained that the island on 
which she dwelt was small "and incommodious for 
landing " and requested him to pray to God that it 
might be extended a little into the sea, with a "gentle 
shore." Pol said she had asked what was beyond his 
power, but suggested that they should pray that her 
desire might be granted. So they prayed, and the 
sea began to retreat, "leaving smooth, golden sand 
where before there had been only stormy waves." All 
the nuns came to see the miracle which had been 
wrought, and the sister of St Pol gathered pebbles and 
laid them round the land newly laid bare, and strewed 
them down the road that she and her brother had 
taken. These pebbles grew into tall pillars of rock, 
and the avenue thus formed is to this day called * the 
Road of St Pol.' Thus do the peasants explain the 
Druidical circles and avenue on the islet. 
After this miracle Pol departed, and rowed to the island 
of Ouessant, and later he travelled through Brittany, 
finally settling in the island of Batz, near the small 
town encompassed by mud walls which has since borne 
his name. There he founded a monastery. The island 
was at that time infested by a dreadful monster, sixty 

3^5 



Legends &f Romances of Brittany 

feet long, and we are told how the Saint subdued this 
dragon. Accompanied by a warrior, he entered its 
den, tied his stole round its neck, and, giving it to his 
companion to lead, he followed them, beating the animal 
with his stick, until they came to the extremity of the 
island. There he took off the stole and commanded 
the dragon to fling itself into the sea — an order which 
the monster immediately obeyed. In the church on 
the island a stole is preserved which is said to be 
that of St Pol. Another story tells us how St Jaoua, 
nephew of St Pol, had to call in his uncle's aid in taming 
a wild bull which was devastating his cell. These 
incidents remind us of St Efflam's taming of the dragon. 
St Pol is one of the saints famous for his miraculous 
power over wild beasts. 

The Saint's renown became such that the Breton king 
made him Archbishop of Leon, giving him special care 
and control of the city bearing his name. We are told 
how the Saint found wild bees swarming in a hollow 
tree, and, gathering the swarm, set them in a hive and 
taught the people how to get honey. He also found 
a wild sow with her litter and tamed them. The 
descendants of this progeny remained at Leon for many 
generations, and were regarded as royal beasts. Both 
of these stories are, of course, a picturesque way of 
saying that St Pol taught the people to cultivate bees 
and to keep pigs. 

St Pol's early desire to possess a bell was curiously 
granted later, as one day when he was in the company 
of a Count who ruled the land under King Childebat 
a fisherman brought the Count a bell which he had 
picked up on the seashore. The Count gave it to 
St Pol, who smiled and told him how he had longed 
366 



St Ronan 

and waited for years for such a bell. In the cathedral 
at Saint- Pol-de-Leon is a tiny bell which is said to have 
belonged to St Pol, and on the days of pardon "its notes 
still ring out over the heads of the faithful," and are sup- 
posed to be efficacious in curing headache or earache. 
In the cathedral choir is the tomb of St Pol, where 
"his skull, an arm-bone, and a finger are encased in 
a little coffer, for the veneration of the devout." St Pol 
built the cathedral at Leon, and was its first bishop. 
Strategy had to be resorted to to secure the see for 
him. The Count gave Pol a letter to take in person 
to King Childebat, which stated that he had sent Pol 
to be ordained bishop and invested with the see of 
Leon. When the Saint discovered what the letter 
contained he wept, and implored the King to respect 
his great disinclination to become a bishop ; but 
Childebat would not listen, and, calling for three bishops, 
he had him consecrated. The Saint was received 
with great joy by the people of Leon, and lived among 
them to a green old age. 

In art St Pol is most generally represented with a 
dragon, and sometimes with a bell, or a cruse of water 
and a loaf of bread, symbolical of his frugal habits. 

St Ronan 

Of St Ronan there is told a tale of solemn warning to 
wives addicted to neglecting their children and " seeking 
their pleasure elsewhere," as it is succinctly expressed. 
St Ronan was an Irish bishop who came to Leon, where 
he retired into a hermitage in the forest of Nevet. 
Grallo, the King of Brittany, was in the habit of visiting 
him in his cell, listening to his discourses, and putting 
theological questions to him. The domestic question 

3^7 



Legends ftf Romances of Brittany 

must have been a problem even in those days, since we 
find Grallo's Queen, Queban, in charge of her five-year- 
old daughter. Family cares proving rather irksome, 
Queban solved the difficulty of her daughter by putting 
the child into a box, with bread and milk to keep her 
quiet, while she amused herself with frivolous matters. 
Unfortunately, this ingeniously improvized creche proved 
singularly unsuccessful, for the poor little girl choked 
on a piece of crust, and when the Queen next visited 
the child she found to her horror that she was dead. 
Terrified at the fatal result of her neglect, and not daring 
to confess what had happened, the Queen, being a 
woman of resource, closed the box and raised a hue and 
cry to find the girl, who she declared must have strayed. 
She rushed in search of her husband to St Ronans cell, 
and upbraided the hermit for being the cause of the 
King's absence. " But for you," she declared, " my 
daughter would not have been lost ! " But it was a 
fatal mistake to accuse the Saint, or to imagine that he 
could be deceived. Sternly rebuking her, he challenged 
her with the fact that the child lay dead in a box, with 
milk and bread beside her ! Rising, he left his cell, 
and, followed by the agitated royal couple, he led the 
way to where the proof of the Queen's neglect and deceit 
was found. Small mercy was shown in those davs to 
erring womanhood, and the guilty Queen was instantly 
" stoned with stones till she died." The Saint completed 
his share in the matter by casting himself on his knees 
beside the child, whereupon she was restored to life. 

St Goezenou 

St Goezenou (circ. a.d. 675) was a native of Britain whose 
parents crossed to Brittany and settled near Brest, where 

368 




QUEEN QUEBAN STONED TO DEATH 



368 



St Goezenou 

the Saint built an oratory and cabin for himself. The 
legend runs that the prince of the neighbourhood having 
offered to give him as much land as he could surround 
with a ditch in one day, the Saint took a fork and 
dragged it along the ground after him as he walked, in 
this way enclosing a league and a half of land, the 
fork as it trailed behind him making a furrow and 
throwing up an embankment, on a small scale. This 
story is quite probably a popular tradition, which grew 
up to explain the origin of old military earthworks in 
that part of the country, which were afterward utilized 
by the monks of St Goezenou. 

It is also related of this worthy Saint that he had such 
a horror of women that he set up a huge menhir to 
mark the boundary beyond which no female was to pass 
under penalty of death. On one occasion a woman, 
either to test the extent of the Saint's power or from 
motives of enmity, pushed another woman who was with 
her past this landmark ; but the innocent trespasser was 
unhurt and her assailant fell dead. 

On one occasion, we are told, Goezenou asked a farmer's 
wife for some crtam cheeses, but the woman, not wishing 
to part with them, declared that she had none. "You 
speak the truth," said the Saint. " You had some, but if 
you will now look in your cupboard you will find they 
have been turned into stone," and when the ungener- 
ous housewife ran to her cupboard she found that this 
was so ! The petrified cheeses were long preserved in 
the church of Goezenou — being removed during the 
Revolution, and afterward preserved in the manor of 
Kergivas. 

Goezenou governed his church for twenty-four years, 
till he met with a violent death. Accompanied by his 

2 a 369 



Legends &> Romances of Brittany 

brother St Magan, he went to Quimperle to see the 
monastery which St Corbasius was building there, but 
he began to praise the architecture of his own church, 
and this so enraged the master builder that he dropped 
his hammer on the critic's head. To add to the grief 
of St Magan, St Corbasius endeavoured to appropriate 
the body of the murdered Saint. He consented, how- 
ever, to allow St Magan to have such bones as he was 
able to identify as belonging to his brother, whereupon 
St Magan prayed all night, and next morning spread a 
sheet for the bones, which miraculously arranged them- 
selves into an entire skeleton, which the sorrowing Magan 
was thus enabled to remove. 

Si IVinwaloe, or Gwenaloe 

St Winwaloe, born about 455, was the son of Fragan, 
Governor of Leon, who had married a wealthy lady 
named Gwen. Their son was so beautiful that they 
named him Gwenaloe, or ' He that is white.' When 
the lad was about fifteen years old he was given to 
the care of a holy man, with whom he lived on the islet 
called Ile-Verte. One day a pirate fleet was sighted off 
the coast, near the harbour of Guic-sezne, and Winwaloe, 
who was with his father at the time, is said to have 
exclaimed, " I see a thousand sails," and to this day 
a cross which marks the spot is called ' the Cross of 
the Thousand Sails,' to commemorate the victory which 
Fragan and his son won over the pirates, who landed 
but were utterly defeated by the Governor and his 
retainers. During the fight Winwaloe, ' 'like a second 
Moses," prayed for victory, and when the victory had 
been won he entreated his father to put the booty 
gained to a holy use and to build a monastery on the 

370 



St Winwaloe 

site of the battle. This was done, and the monastery 
was called Loc-Christ. 

Leaving his master after some years, Winwaloe settled 
on the island of Sein, but finding that it was exposed 
to the fury of every gale that blew from the Atlantic 
he left it and went to Landevennec, on the opposite side 
of the harbour at Brest. There he established a mon- 
astery, gathered round him many disciples, and dwelt 
there until his death, many years later. He died during 
the first week of Lent, " after bestowing a kiss of peace 
on his brethren," and his body is preserved at Montreuil- 
sur-Mer, his chasuble, alb, and bell being laid in the 
Jesuit church of St Charles at Antwerp. 
In art St Winwaloe is represented vested as an abbot, 
with staff in one hand and a bell in the other, standing 
beside the sea, from which fishes arise as if in answer 
to the sound of his bell. 



37i 



CHAPTER XIII: COSTUMES AND 
CUSTOMS OF BRITTANY 

DISTINCTIVE national costume has to a great 
extent become a thing of the past in Europe, 
and for this relinquishment of the picturesque 
we have doubtless in a measure to thank the exploita- 
tion of remote districts as tourist and sporting centres. 
Brittany, however, has been remarkably faithful to her 
sartorial traditions, and even to-day in the remoter parts 
of the west and in distant sea-coast places her men and 
women have not ceased to express outwardly the strong 
national and personal individuality of their race. In 
these districts it is still possible for the traveller to take 
a sudden, bewildering, and wholly entrancing step back 
into the past. 

In Cornouaille the national costume is more jealously 
cherished than in any other part of the country, even to 
the smallest details, for here the men carry a pen-bas, or 
cudgel, which is as much a supplement to their attire 
and as characteristic of it as the Irish shillelagh is of 
the traditional Irish dress. Quimper is perhaps second 
to Cornouaille in fidelity to the old costume, for all the 
men wear the national habit. On gala days this con- 
sists of gaily embroidered and coloured waistcoats, which 
often bear the travelling tailor's name, and volumin- 
ous bragou-bras, or breeches of blue or brown, held at 
the waist with a broad leather belt with a metal buckle 
and caught in at the knee with ribbons of various hues, 
the whole set off with black leather leggings and shoes 
ornamented with silver buckles. A broad-brimmed 
hat, beneath which the hair falls down sometimes to 
below the shoulders, finishes a toilet which on weekdays 
372 



Hats and Hymen 

or work-days has to give place to white bragou-bras of 
tough material, something more sombre in waistcoats, 
and the ever serviceable sabot. 

Hats and Hymen 

In the vast stretch of the salt-pans of Escoublac, between 
Batz and Le Croisic, where the entire population of the 
district is employed, the workers, or paludzers, affect a 
smock-frock with pockets, linen breeches, gaiters, and 
shoes all of white, and with this dazzling costume they 
wear a huge, flapping black hat turned up on one side to 
form a horn-shaped peak. This peak is very important, 
as it indicates the state of the wearer, the young bachelor 
adjusting it with great nicety over the ear, the widower 
above his forehead, and the married man at the back of 
his head. On Sundays or gala-days, however, this 
uniform is discarded in favour of a multicoloured and 
more distinctive attire, the breeches being of fine cloth, 
exceedingly full and pleated and finished with ribbons 
at the knees, the gaiters and white shoes of everyday 
giving place to white woollen stockings with clocks 
embroidered on them and shoes of light yellow, while 
the smock is supplanted by several waistcoats of varying 
lengths and shades, which are worn one above the other 
in different coloured tiers, finished at the neck with a 
turnover muslin collar. The holiday hat is the same, 
save for a roll of brightly and many tinted chenille. 
Several petticoats of pleated cloth, big bibs or plastrons 
called pieces, of the same shade as their dresses, and 
a shawl with a fringed border, compose the costume of 
the women. The aprons of the girls are very plain and 
devoid of pockets, but the older women's are rich in 
texture and design, some of them being of silk and 

373 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

others even of costly brocade. The women's head-dress 
is almost grotesque in its originality, the hair being woven 
into two rolls, swathed round with tape, and wound into 
a coronet across the head. Over this is drawn tightly 
a kind of cap, which forms a peak behind and is crossed 
in front like a handkerchief. Should widowhood over- 
take a woman she relinquishes this coiffe and shrouds 
her head and shoulders in a rough black triangular-shaped 
sheepskin mantle. 

The toilette of a bride is as magnificent as the widow's 
is depressing and dowdy. It consists of three different 
dresses, the first of white velvet with apron of moire- 
antique, the second of purple velvet, and the third of 
cloth of gold with embroidered sleeves, with apiece of 
the same material. A wide sash, embroidered with 
gold, is used for looping up all these resplendent skirts 
in order to reveal the gold clocks which adorn the 
stockings. These, and all gala costumes, are carefully 
stored away at the village inn, and may be seen by 
the traveller sufficiently interested to pay a small fee 
for the privilege. 

Quaint Head-dresses 

Though the dress of the Granville women does not 
attempt to equal or rival the magnificence just described, 
nevertheless it is as quaint and characteristic. They 
favour a long black or very dark coat, with bordering 
frills of the same material and shade, and their cap is 
a sort of bandeau, turning up sharply at the ears, and 
crested by a white handkerchief folded square and laid 
flat on top. 

In Ouessant the peasant women adopt an Italian style 
of costume, their head-dress, from under which their 

374 



Quaint Head-dresses 

hair falls loosely, being exactly in almost every detail 
like that which one associates with the women of Italy. 
The costume of the man from St Pol is, like that of 
the Granville women, soberer than most others of 
Brittany. Save for his buttons, the buckle on his hat, 
and the clasps of white metal fastening his leather shoes, 
his dress, including spencer, waistcoat, trousers, and 
stockings, is of black, and his hair is worn falling on 
his shoulders, while he rarely carries the pen-bas — an 
indication, perhaps, of his rather meditative, pious 
temperament. 

At Villecheret the cap of the women is bewilderingly 
varied and very peculiar. At first sight it appears to 
consist of several large sheets of stiff white paper, in 
some cases a sheet of the apparent paper spreading out 
at either side of the head and having another roll placed 
across it ; in other cases a ridged roof seems to rest 
upon the hair, a roof with the sides rolling upward and 
fastened at the top with a frail thread ; while a third 
type of head-dress is of the skull-cap order, from which 
is suspended two ties quite twenty inches long and eight 
inches wide, which are doubled back midway and 
fastened again to the top of the skull-cap. The un- 
married woman who adopts this coiffe must wear the 
ties hanging over the shoulders. 

Originality in head-dress the male peasant leaves almost 
entirely to the woman, for nearly everywhere in Brittany 
one meets with the long, wide-brimmed, black hat, with 
a black band, the dullness of which is relieved by a 
white or blue metal buckle, as large as those usually 
found on belts. To this rule the Plougastel man is one 
of the exceptions, wearing a red cap with his trousers 
and coat of white flannel. 



375 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

At Muzillac, some miles distant from La Roche- Bernard, 
the women supplant the white coiffe with a huge black 
cap resembling the cowl of a friar, while at Pont l'Abbe" 
and along the Bay of Audierne the cap or bigouden is 
formed of two pieces, the first a species of skull-cap 
fitting closely over the head and ears, the second a 
small circular piece of starched linen, shaped into a 
three-cornered peak, the centre point being embroidered 
and kept in position by a white tape tie which fastens 
under the chin. Over the skull-cap the hair is dressed 
en chignon. The dress accompanying this singular 
coiffe and coiffure has a large yellow piece, with sleeves 
to match. The men wear a number of short coats, one 
above the other, the shortest and last being trimmed 
with a fringe, and occasionally ornamented with sentences 
embroidered in coloured wools round the border, describ- 
ing the patriotic or personal sentiments of the wearer. 
The women of Morlaix are also partial to the tight- 
fitting coiffe. This consists of five broad folds, forming 
a base from which a fan-like fall of stiffened calico 
spreads out from ear to ear, completely shading the 
nape of the neck and reaching down the back below 
the shoulders. Many of the women wear calico tippets, 
while the more elderly affect a sort of mob-cap with 
turned-up edges, from which to the middle of the head 
are stretched two wide straps of calico, joined together 
at the ends with a pin. Most of the youths of Morlaix 
wear the big, flapping hat, but very often a black 
cloth cap is also seen. This is ridiculous rather than 
picturesque, for so long is it that with almost every 
movement it tips over the wearer's nose. The tunic 
accompanying either hat or cap is of blue flannel, and 
over it is worn a black waistcoat. The porters of the 

376 



Religious Festivals 

market-places wear a sort of smock. The young boys 
of Morlaix dress very like their elders, and nearly all 
of them wear the long loose cap, with the difference 
that a tasselled end dangles down the back. 
On religious festivals the gala dress is always donned 
in all vicinities of Brittany, and the costume informs 
the initiated at once in what capacity the Breton is 
present. For instance, the porteuses, or banner-bearers, 
of certain saints are dressed in white ; others may be 
more gorgeously or vividly attired in gowns of bright- 
coloured silk trimmed with gold lace, scarves of silver 
thread, aprons of gold tissue or brocade, and lace coiffes 
over caps of gold or silver tissue ; while some, though 
in national gala dress, will have flags or crosses to dis- 
tinguish them from the more commonplace worshipper. 

Religious Festivals 

This dressing for the part and the occasion is inter- 
woven with the Breton's existence as unalterably as 
sacred and profane elements are into the occasions of 
his religious festivals. A feast day well and piously 
begun is interspersed and concluded with a gaiety and 
abandon which by contrast strikes a note of profanity. 
Yet Brittany is quite the most devotedly religious of 
all the French provinces, and one may see the great 
cathedrals filled to their uttermost with congregations 
including as many men as women. Nowhere else, 
perhaps, will one find such great masses of people so 
completely lost in religious fervour during the usual 
Church services and the grander and more impressive 
festivals so solemnly observed. This reverence is attri- 
buted by some to the power of superstition, by others 
to the Celtic temperament of the worshippers ; but 

377 



Legends @P Romances of Brittany 

from whatever cause it arises no one who has lived 
among the Bretons can doubt the sincerity and childlike 
faith which lies at the base of it all, a faith of which 
a medieval simplicity and credence are the keynotes. 

The Pardons 

This pious punctiliousness is not confined to Church 
services and ceremonies alone, for rarely are wayside 
crosses or shrines unattended by some simple peasant 
or peasants telling beads or unfolding griefs to a God 
Who, they have been taught, takes the deepest interest in 
and compassionates all the troubles and trials which may 
befall them. Between May and October the religious 
ardour of the Breton may be witnessed at its strongest, 
for during these months the five great 1 Pardons ' or re- 
ligious pilgrimage festivals are solemnized in the follow- 
ing sequence : the Pardon of the Poor, at Saint- Yves ; 
the Pardon of the Singers, at Rumengol ; the Pardon of 
the Fire, at Saint-Jean-du-Doigt ; the Pardon of the 
Mountain, at Trom6nie-de-Saint-Renan ; the Pardon of 
the Sea, at Sainte-Anne-la-Palud. 

The Pardon of the Poor, the Pardon of the Singers, and 
the Pardon of the Sea are especially rigorous and 
exacting, but the less celebrated Pardon of Notre Dame 
de la Clarte, in Morbihan, has an earthly as much as a 
celestial object, for while the pilgrimage does homage 
to the Virgin it is at the same time believed to facilitate 
marriage. Here, once the sacred side of the festival 
has been duly observed, the young man in search of a 
wife circles about the church, closely scrutinizing all 
the eligible demoiselles who come within range of his 
vision. As soon as he decides which maiden most 
appeals to him, he asks her politely if she will accept a 

378 



The Pardons 



gift from him, and at the same time presents a large 
round cake, with which he has armed himself for that 
occasion. "Will mademoiselle break the cake with 
me ? " is the customary form of address, and in the 
adoption or rejection of this suggestion lies the young 
peasants yea or nay. 

The Pardon of Saint-Jean-du-Doigt takes place on the 
22nd of June, and is, perhaps, the most solemn of these 
festivals. During its celebration the relic of the Saint, 
the little finger of his right hand, is held before the high 
altar of the church by an abbe 1 clad in his surplice. The 
finger is wrapped in the finest of linen, and one by one 
the congregation files past the abbe for the purpose of 
touching for one brief moment the relic he holds. At 
the same time another cleric stands near the choir, 
holding the skull of St Me>iadec, and before this the 
pilgrims also promenade, reverently bowing their heads 
as they go. The devotees then repair to a side wall 
near which there is a fountain, the waters of which have 
been previously sanctified by bathing in them the finger 
of St Jean suspended from a gold chain, and into this 
the pilgrims plunge their palms and vigorously rub their 
eyes with them, as a protection against blindness. 
This concludes the religious side of the Pardon, and 
immediately after its less edifying ceremonies begin. 
The Pardon of the Mountain is held on Trinity Sunday 
at Tromenie. Every sixth year there is the ' Grand 
Trom^nie,' an event which draws an immense concourse 
of people from all parts. The principal feature of this 
great day from the spectator's point of view is the 
afternoon procession. It is of the most imposing 
description, and all who have come to take part in the 
Pardon join it, as with banners flying and much hymn- 

379 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

singing it takes its way out of the town to wind round 
a mountain in the vicinity. 

Barking Women 

In the old days of religious enthusiasm a remarkable 
phenomenon often attended these festivals, when ex- 
citement began to run high, as it was certain to do 
among a Celtic people. This was the barking of 
certain highly strung hysterical women. In time it 
became quite a usual feature, but now, happily, it is a 
part of the ceremony which has almost entirely disap- 
peared. There is a legend in connexion with this 
custom that the Virgin appeared before some women 
disguised as a beggar, and asked for a draught of water, 
and, when they refused it, caused them and their posterity 
to be afflicted with the mania. 

The Sacring Bell 

Another custom of earlier times was that of ringing 
the sacring bell. These bells are very tiny, and are 
attached at regular intervals to the outer rim of a 
wooden wheel, wrongly styled by some ' the Wheel of 
Fortune,' from which dangles a long string. In most 
places the sacring bell is kept as a curiosity, though in 
the church of St Bridget at Berhet the Sant-e-roa y or 
Holy Wheel, is still rung by pilgrims during Mass. 
The bells are set pealing through the medium of a long 
string by the impatient suppliant, to remind the saint to 
whom the Sant-e-roa may be dedicated of the prayerful 
requests with which he or she has been assailed. 
There are in many of the churches of Brittany wide, 
old-fashioned fireplaces, a fact which testifies to a very 
sensible practice which prevailed in the latter half of 
380 



Holy Wells 

the sixteenth century — that of warming the baptismal 
water before applying it to the defenceless head of the 
lately born. The most famous of these old fireplaces 
belong to the churches of St Bridget in Perguet, Le 
Moustoir-le-Juch, St Non at Penmarch, and Brevelenz. 
In the church at the latter place one of the pinnacles of 
the porch forms the chimney to its historic hearth. 

The Venus of Quinipily 

Childless people often pay a visit to some standing 
stone in their neighbourhood in the hope that they 
may thereby be blessed with offspring. Famous in this 
respect is the 'Venus,' or Groabgoard, of Quinipily, a 
rough-hewn stone in the likeness of a goddess. The 
letters . . . lit . . . still remain on it — part of a Latin 
inscription which has been thought to have originally 
read ilithyia, " a name in keeping with the rites still 
in use before the image," says MacCulloch. 1 

Holy JVells 

The holy well is another institution dating from early 
days, and there is hardly a church in Brittany which 
does not boast one or more of these shrines, which are 
in most cases dedicated to the saint in whose honour the 
church has been raised. So numerous are these wells 
that to name them and dwell at any length on the 
curative powers claimed for their waters would fill a 
large volume. Worthy of mention, however, is the 
Holy Well of St Bieuzy, as typical of most of such 
sacred springs. It is close to the church of the same 
name in Bieuzy, and flows from a granite wall. Its 
waters are said to relieve and cure the mentally 
1 Religion of the Ancient Celts \ p. 289. 

381 



Legends ®P Romances of Brittany 

deranged. Some of the wells are large enough to permit 
the afflicted to bathe in their waters, and of these the 
well near the church of Goezenou is a good example. 
It is situated in an enclosure surrounded by stone seats 
for the convenience of the devotees who may desire to 
immerse themselves bodily in it. Several of these 
shrines bear dates, but whether they are genuine is a 
matter for conjecture. 

Reliquaries 

Every Breton churchyard worthy of the name has its 
reliquary or bone-house. There may be seen rows of 
small boxes like dog-kennels with heart-shaped openings. 
Round these openings, names, dates, and pious ejacula- 
tions are written. Looking through the aperture, a 
glimpse of a skull may startle one, for it is a gruesome 
custom of the country to dig up the bones of the dead 
and preserve the skulls in this way. The name upon 
the box is that once borne by the deceased, the date 
that of his death, and the charitable prayer is for the 
repose of his soul. Occasionally these boxes are set in 
conspicuous places in the church, but generally they 
remain in the reliquary. In the porch of the church of 
St Tremeur, the son of the notorious Breton Bluebeard, 
Comorre, there is one of the largest collections of these 
receptacles in Brittany. Rich people who may have 
endowed or founded sacred edifices are buried in an 
arched recess of the abbey or church they have benefited. 

Feeding the Dead 

In some parts of Brittany hollows are found in tomb- 
stones above graves, and these are annually filled with 
holy water or libations of milk. It would seem as if 

382 



The Passage de PEnfer 

this custom linked prehistoric with modern practice and 
that the cup-hollows frequently met with on the top of 
dolmens may have been intended as receptacles for the 
food of the dead. The basins scooped in the soil of a 
barrow may have served the same purpose. On the 
night of All Souls' Day, when this libation is made, the 
supper is left spread on the table of each cottage and 
the fire burns brightly, so that the dead may return to 
refresh and warm themselves after the dolours of the 
grave. 

The Passage de VEnfer 

How hard custom dies in Brittany is illustrated by the 
fact that it is still usual at Treguier to convey the 
dead to the churchyard in a boat over a part of 
the river called the ' Passage de l'Enfer,' instead of 
taking the shorter way by land. This custom is 
reminiscent of what Procopius, a historian of the sixth 
century, says regarding Breton Celtic custom in his 
De Bello Gothico. Speaking of the island of Brittia, 
by which he means Britain, he states that it is 
divided by a wall. Thither fishermen from the Breton 
coast are compelled to ferry over at darkest night the 
shades of the dead, unseen by them, but marshalled by 
a mysterious leader. The fishermen who are to row 
the dead across to the British coast must go to bed early, 
for at midnight they are aroused by a tapping at the door, 
and they are called in a low voice. They rise and go 
down to the shore, attracted by some force which they 
cannot explain. Here they find their boats, apparently 
empty, yet the water rises to the bulwarks, as if they 
were crowded. Once they commence the voyage their 
vessels cleave the water speedily, making the passage, 

383 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

usually a day and a half s sailing, in an hour. When 
the British shore is reached the souls of the dead leave 
the boats, which at once rise in the sea as if unloaded. 
Then a loud voice on shore is heard calling out the 
name and style of those who have disembarked. 
Procopius had, of course, heard the old Celtic myth of 
an oversea Elysium, and had added to it some distorted 
reminiscence of the old Roman wall which divided 
Britain. The ' ship of souls ' is evidently a feature of 
Celtic as well as of Latin and Greek belief. 

Calvaries 

Calvaries, or representations of the passion on the 
Cross, are most frequently encountered in Brittany, 
so much so, indeed, that it has been called ' the Land 
of the Calvaries.' Over the length and breadth of the 
country they are to be met at almost every turn, some 
of them no more than rude, simple crosses originating 
in local workshops, and others truly magnificent in 
carving and detail. Some of the most famous are those 
situated at Plougastel, Saint-Thegonnec, and Guimiliau. 
The Calvary of Plougastel dates from the early 
sixteenth century, and consists of an arcade beneath 
a platform filled with statues. The surrounding frieze 
has carvings in bas-relief representing incidents in the 
life of Christ. The Calvary of Saint-Thegonnec repre- 
sents vividly the phases of the passion, being really a 
4 way of the Cross ' in sculpture. It bears the unmistak- 
able stamp of the sixteenth century. The Calvary of 
Guimiliau is dated 1 580 and 1588. A platform supported 
by arches bears the three crosses, the four evangelists, 
and other figures connected with the principal incidents 
in the life and passion of our Lord. The principal 

384 



Weddings 

figures, that of Christ and those of the attending 
Blessed Virgin and St John, are most beautifully and 
sympathetically portrayed. The figures in the repre- 
sentations from the life of Christ, which are from necessity 
much smaller than those of the Crucifixion, are dressed 
in the costume of the sixteenth century. The entire 
Calvary is sculptured in Kersanton stone. 

Whether these and other similar groups are really 
works of art is perhaps a matter for discussion, but 
regarding their impressiveness there cannot be two 
opinions. By the bulk of the people they are held 
in great reverence, and rarely are they unattended by 
tiny congregations of two or three, while on the occasion 
of important religious festivals people flock to them in 
hundreds. 

Weddings 

In many of their religious observances the Bretons are 
prone to confuse the sacred with the profane, and chief 
among these is the wedding ceremony — the customs 
attendant on which in some ostensibly Christian countries 
are yet a disgrace to the intellect as well as the good 
feeling of man. In rural Brittany, however, the revelry 
which ensues as soon as the church door closes on the 
newly wedded pair is more like that associated with 
a children's party than the recreation of older people. 
Should the marriage be celebrated in the morning, 
tables laid out with cakes are ranged outside the church 
door, and when the bridal procession files out of the 
church the bride and bridegroom each take a cake from 
the table and leave a coin in its stead for the poor. 
The guests follow suit, and then the whole party repairs 
to the nearest meadow, where endless ronds are begun. 

2 B 385 



Legends Romances of Brittany 

The rond is a sort of dance in which the whole assembly 
joins hands and revolves slowly with a hop-skip-and-a- 
jump step to the accompaniment of a most wearisome 
and unvarying chant, the music for which is provided 
by the biniott, or bagpipe, and the flageolet or hautboy, 
both being occasionally augmented by the drum. Before 
the ceremony begins the musicians who are responsible 
for this primitive harmony are dispatched to summon 
the guests, who, of course, arrive in the full splendour 
of the national gala costume. As soon as the rands are 
completed to the satisfaction of everybody the custom 
common to so many countries of stealing the bride away 
is celebrated. At a given signal she speeds away from 
the party, hotly pursued by the young gallants present, 
and when she is overtaken she presents the successful 
swain with a cup of coffee at a public cafe. This inter- 
lude is followed by dinner, and after that the ronds are 
resumed. These festivities, in the case of prosperous 
people, sometimes last three days, during which time 
the guests are entertained at their host's expense. If 
the wedding happens to be held in the evening, dancing 
is about the only amusement indulged in, and this 
follows an elaborate wedding supper. The biniou and 
its companions are decidedly en Evidence, while some- 
times the monotony of the ronds is varied by xhe grand 
rond, a much more graceful and intricate affair, con- 
taining many elaborate and difficult steps ; but the more 
ordinary dance is the favourite, probably because of the 
difficulties attending the other. 

Breton Burials 

An ancient Breton funeral ceremony was replete with 
symbolic meaning and ritual, which have been carried 

386 



Breton Burials 

down through the Middle Ages to the present time. 
As soon as the head of the family had ceased to breathe, 
a great fire was lit in the courtyard, and the mattress 
upon which he had expired was burned. Pitchers of 
water and milk were emptied, for fear, perhaps, that 
the soul of the defunct might be athirst. The dead 
man was then enveloped from head to foot in a great 
white sheet and placed in a description of funeral 
pavilion, the hands joined on the breast, the body 
turned toward the east. At his feet a little stool was 
placed, and two yellow candles were lit on each side 
of him. Then the beadle or gravedigger, who was 
usually a poor man, went round the country-side to carry 
the news of death, which he usually called out in a high, 
piping voice, ringing his little bell the while. At the 
hour of sunset people arrived from all parts for the 
purpose of viewing the body. Each one carried a 
branch, which he placed on the feet of the defunct. 
The evening prayer was recited by all, then the 
women sang the canticles. From time to time the 
widow and children of the deceased raised the corner 
of the shroud and kissed it solemnly. A repast was 
served in an adjoining room, where the beggar sat 
side by side with the wealthy, on the principle that 
all were equal before death. It is strange that the 
poor are always associated with the griefs as with 
the pleasures of Breton people ; we find them at the 
feast of death and at the baptism as at the wedding 
rejoicing. 

In the morning the rector of the parish arrived and all 
retired, with the exception of the parents, if these 
chanced to be alive, in whose presence the beadle 
closed the coffin. No other member of the family 

387 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 

was permitted to take part in this solemn farewell, 
which was regarded as a sacred duty. The coffin 
was then placed on a car drawn by oxen, and the 
funeral procession set out, preceded by the clergy 
and followed by the female relations of the deceased, 
wearing yellow head-dresses and black mantles. The 
men followed with bared heads. On arriving at the 
church the coffin was disposed on trestles, and the widow 
sat close by it throughout the ceremony. As it was 
lowered into the tomb the last words of the prayer for 
the dead were repeated by all, and as it touched the 
soil beneath a loud cry arose from the bereaved. 
The Breton funeral ceremony, like those prevalent 
among other Celtic peoples, is indeed a lugubrious 
affair, and somewhat recalls the Irish wake in its 
strange mixture of mourning and feasting; but curiously 
enough brightness reigns afterward, for the peasant is 
absolutely assured that at the moment his friend is 
placed in the tomb he commences a life of joy with- 
out end. 

Tartartis and Paradise 

Two very striking old Breton ballads give us very vivid 
pictures of the Breton idea of Heaven and its opposite. 
That dealing with the infernal regions hails from the 
district of Leon. It is attributed to a priest named 
Morin, who flourished in the fifteenth century, but 
others have claimed it for a Jesuit father called Maunoir, 
who lived and preached some two hundred years later. 
In any case it bears the ecclesiastical stamp. " Descend, 
Christians," it begins, " to see what unspeakable tortures 
the souls of the condemned suffer through the justice of 
God, Who has chained them in the midst of flames for 

3*8 



Tartarus and Paradise 

having abused their gifts in this world. Hell is a pro- 
found abyss, full of shadow, where not the least gleam 
of light ever comes. The gates have been closed and 
bolted by God, and He will never open them more. 
The key is lost ! 

" An oven heated to whiteness is this place, a fire 
which constantly devours the lost souls. There they 
will eternally burn, tormented by the intolerable heat. 
They gnash their teeth like mad dogs ; they cannot 
escape the flames, which are over their heads, under 
their feet, and on all sides. The son rushes at his 
father, and the daughter at her mother. They drag 
them by the hair through the midst of flames, with a 
thousand maledictions, crying, ' Cursed be ye, lost 
woman, who brought us into the world ! Cursed be ye, 
heedless man, who wert the cause of our damnation ! ' 
" For drink they have only their tears. Their skins are 
scorched, and bitten by the teeth of serpents and 
demons, and their flesh and their bones are nothing but 
fuel to the great fire of Hell ! 

" After they have been for some time in this furnace, 
they are plunged by Satan into a lake of ice, and from 
this they are thrown once more into the flames, and 
from the flames into the water, like a bar of iron in a 
smithy. ' Have pity, my God, have pity on us ! ' they 
call ; but they weep in vain, for God has closed His 
ears to their plaints. 

" The heat is so intense that their marrow burns within 
their bones. The more they crave for pity, the more 
they are tormented. 

" This fire is the anger of God which they have aroused ; 
verily it may never be put out." 

One turns with loathing, with anger, and with contempt 

339 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 

from this production of medieval ecclesiasticism. When 
one thinks of the thousands of simple and innocent 
people who must have been tortured and driven half 
wild with terror by such infamous utterances as this, one 
feels inclined to challenge the oft-repeated statement 
concerning the many virtues of the medieval Church. 
But Brittany is not the only place where this species of 
terrorism was in vogue, and that until comparatively 
recent times. The writer can recall such descriptions 
as this emanating from the pulpits of churches in 
Scottish villages only some thirty years ago, and the 
strange thing is that people of that generation were 
wont to look back with longing and admiration upon 
the old style of condemnatory sermon, and to criticize 
the efforts of the younger school of ministers as being 
wanting in force and lacking the spirit of menace so 
characteristic of their forerunners. There are no such 
sermons nowadays, they say. Let us thank God that 
to the credit of human intelligence and human pity 
there are not ! 

The opposite to this picture is provided by the ballad 
on Heaven. It is generally attributed to Michel de 
Kerodern, a Breton missionary of the seventeenth 
century, but others claim its authorship for St Herve, 
to whom we have already alluded. In any case it is as 
replete with superstitions as its darker fellow. The 
soul, it says, passes the moon, sun, and stars on its 
Heavenward way, and from that height turns its eyes 
on its native land of Brittany. "Adieu to thee, my 
country ! Adieu to thee, world of suffering and dolorous 
burdens ! Farewell, poverty, affliction, trouble, and sin ! 
Like a lost vessel the body lies below, but wherever I 
turn my eyes my heart is filled with a thousand felicities. 

390 



Tartarus and Paradise 

I behold the gates of Paradise open at my approach 
and the saints coming out to receive me. I am received 
in the Palace of the Trinity, in the midst of honours and 
heavenly harmonies. The Lord places on my head a 
beautiful crown and bids me enter into the treasures 
of Heaven. Legions of archangels chant the praise of 
God, each with a harp in his hand. I meet my father, 
my mother, my brothers, the men of my country. 
Choirs of little angels fly hither and thither over our 
heads like flocks of birds. Oh, happiness without equal ! 
When I think of such bliss to be, it consoles my heart 
for the pains of this life." 



39i 



GLOSSARY &> INDEX 



GLOSSARY &> INDEX 



A 

Abelard . A Breton monk ; the 
story of Helo'ise and, 248-253 

Aberlady Bay. A bay in the 
Firth of Forth, Scotland, 357 

Abernethy. A town in Scotland ; 
the Round Tower at, 52 

Aberystwyth. A town in Wales ; 
Taliesin buried at, 22 

Adder's Stone. A substance sup- 
posed to have magical properties, 
employed in Druidic rites, 247 ; 
Heloise, represented as a sorcer- 
ess, said to have possessed, 252 

Alain III. Count of Brittany 
(Count of Vannes) ; drives back 
the Northmen, 25 

Alain IV (Barbe-torte). Arch- 
chief of Brittany ; defeats the 
Northmen, 25-26 

Alain V . Duke of Brittany ,27,28 

Alain Fergant. Duke of Brit- 
tany, 30 

Alain. Son of Eudo of Brittany, 
29 

Albert le Grand. Monk of Mor- 
laix, 278 

Alchemy. The art of ; the posi- 
tion of, in the fifteenth century, 
175 ; Gilles de Retz experiments 
in, 175-179 

Algonquins. A race of North 
American Indians ; mentioned, 
302 

Ali Bab a. The story of ; men- 
tioned, 316 

All Souls' Day. The custom of 
leaving food for the dead on, 383 

Aloida. A maiden ; in the ballad 
of the Marriage-girdle, 234-236 

' Alpine ' Race. A European ethno- 
logical division ; the Bretons 
probably belong to, 14, 37 n. 

Amenophis III. An Egyptian 
king ; mentioned, 43 

America. See United States. 

Angers. A town in France ; St 
Convoyon goes to, to obtain holy 
relics from the cathedral, 336 

Animals. Frequently the bearers 
of divine aid, in legends of the 
saints, 347 ; St Pol noted for 



his miraculous power over wild 
beasts, 366 
Animism, 86-87 

Ankou, The. The death-spirit of 

Brittany, 101-102 
Annaik. A maiden ; in a story of 

the Marquis of Guerande, 199- 

202 

Anne . Duchess of Brittany ; 
married to Charles VIII of France, ^ 
and then to Louis XII, 36 ; the 
oratory of, in the chateau of 
Dinan, 209 ; gives the chateau 
of Suscino to John of Chalons, 210 

Antwerp. The city ; relics of 
St Winwaloe preserved in the 
Jesuit church of St Charles at, 
371 ; mentioned, 205 

Apple, The. Said to have been 
introduced into Brittany by 
Telio, 18 

Ardmore. A town in Ireland ; 
the Round Tower at, 51-52 

Arez, Mountains of. Same as 
Montagnes d'Arr^e, which see 

Argoed. A place in Wales ; 
battle of, 22 

Armagh. A city in Ireland ; 
Budoc made Bishop of, 356 

Armenia. The country ; were- 
wolf superstition in, 291 

Armor (' On the Sea ' ). The an- 
cient Celtic name for Brittany, 13 

Armorica. The Latin name for 
the country of Brittany, 13, 15 ; 
Julius Caesar in, 16 ; two British 
kingdoms in, 19 ; the first monas- 
tery in, founded by Gwennole, 
185 ; King Arthur hunts wild 
beasts in, 278 ; St Samson bidden 
to go to, 349 

Arthur, King. British chieftain, 
of legendary fame ; his finding of 
Excalibur, 256-257 ; his en- 
counter with the giant of Mont- 
Saint-Michel, 275-277 ; his ex- 
istence doubted by Bretons in 
the twelfth century, 278 ; his 
fight with the dragon at the 
Lieue de Greve, 278-281 ; car- 
ried to' the Isle of Avalon after 
his last battle, 282 ; Gugemar at 
the Court of, 292 ; his contest 



395 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 



with Modred, 344 ; his sister 
Margawse the wife of King Lot 
of Lothian, 357 ; mentioned, 64, 
66, 173, 212, 224 

Arthur. Duke of Brittany, son of 
Geoffrey Plantagenet ; murdered 
by King John of England, 30 

Arthurian Romance. Resem- 
blances in Villemarque's Barzaz- 
Breiz to, 224 ; the controversy as 
to the original birthplace of, 228, 
254-255 ; indigenous to British 
soil, 255 

Arz. See He d'Arz 

Ash-tree, The Lay of the. One 
of the Lais of Marie de France, 
317-320 

Auchentorlie. An estate in Scot- 
land ; inscribed stones at, 46 

AuchinleckMS. A manuscript con- 
taining a version of the story of 
Tristrem and Ysonde, 272 

Audierne, Bay of. A bay on the 
Breton coast ; national costume 
in the district of, 376 

Aulnoy, Comtesse d' . Noted seven- 
teenth-century French authoress ; 
mentioned, 144 

Auray. A town in Brittany ; 
battle at, 35 ; centre from which 
to visit the megaliths of Carnac, 
42 

Avalon, Isle of. A fabled 
island to which King Arthur was 
carried after his last battle, 282 

Avenue of Sphinxes. At Karnak, 
Egypt, 43 

Azenor. Mother of St Budoc of 
Dol, 354-356 

Azenor the Pale. A maiden ; 
the legend of, 360-364 



B 

Bacchus. The Greek god of wine ; 

mentioned, 189 
Balon. Monastery of ; St Tivi- 

siau and, 338-339 
Ban. King of Benwik ; father of 

Sir Lancelot, 257 
Bangor Teivi. A village in 

Wales ; Taliesin said to have 

died at, 22 
Baranton, The Fountain of. A 

magical fountain in Broceliande, 

70-71 

396 



Bard. Singer or poet attached to 
noble households ; late survival 
of the custom of maintaining, 364 

Barking Women. A phenomenon 
connected with religious festivals, 
380 

Baron of Jauioz, The. A ballad, 
145-147 

Barron. A fictitious youth ; in a 
story of Gilles de Retz, 178 

Barzaz-Breiz ("The Breton 
Bards " ). A collection of Breton 
ballads made by Villemarque ; 
cited (under sub-title, Chants 
populaires de la Bretagne), 57 n. ; 
criticism of, 21 1-2 12 

Bass Rock. An islet in the Firth 
of Forth, 359 

Batz. I. An island off the coast of 
Brittany ; St Pol settles on, 365- 
366. II. A town in Brittany, 
373 

Bayard, The Chevalier de. A 
famous French knight ; men- 
tioned, 31 

Bean Nighe (' The Washing 
Woman'). An evil spirit of the 
Scottish Highlands, 100 

Beaumanoir. A Breton noble 
house, 229 

Beauty and the Beast. The 
story of ; mentioned, 137 

Beauvau. Matthew, Seigneur of; 
in the story of the Clerk of Rohan, 
190-193 

Bedivere, Sir. One of King 
Arthur's knights ; accompanies 
Arthur on his expedition against 
the giant of Mont-Saint-Michel, 

275-277 

Bees. Cultivated by the monks of 

Dol, 19 ; St Pol taught the people 

to cultivate, 366 
Beignon. A town in Brittany, 360 
Belgium. Mentioned, 52 
Beliagog. A giant ; in the story 

of Tristrem and Ysonde, 271 
Belsunce de Castelmoron, 

Henri - Francois - Xavier de. 

Bishop of Marseilles ; mentioned , 

195 

Benediction of the Beasts. A 
festival held at Carnac, 45 

Berhet. A village in Brittany ; 
the custom of ringing the sacring 
bell still observed in the church of 
St Bridget at, 380 



Glossary &> Index 



Berry. John, Duke of ; men- 
tioned, 145 

Berry. Caroline, Duchess of ; im- 
prisoned in the castle of Nantes, 
205 

Bertrand de Din an. A Breton 

knight, 29 
Bieuzy. A town in Brittany ; the 

Holy Well of St Bieuzy at, 

381 

Bigouden. A cap worn by the 
women in some parts of Brittany, 
37 6 

Biniou. A musical instrument re- 
sembling the bagpipe ; one of the 
national instruments of Brittany, 
229 ; played at weddings, 386 

Birds. In Breton tradition, the 
dead supposed to return to earth 
in the form of, 227 ; frequently 
messengers in ballad literature, 
233 ; in the legends of the saints, 
commonly the bearers of divine 
aid, 347 

Bisclaveret. The Breton name 
for a were-wolf ; in the Lay 
of the Were-wolf, 287-289, 291 

Black Mountain. The name of 
one of the peaks of the Black 
Mountains, 197 

Black Mountains. A mountain 
chain in Brittany, 196 

Blanche of Castile. Mother of 
Louis IX, 208 

Blancheflour. Princess, sister of 
King Mark, mother of Tristrem ; 
in the story of Tristrem and 
Ysonde, 258-259, 261 

Blois. A famous French chateau ; 
mentioned, 206 

Blois, Charles of. Duke of Brit- 
tany ; contests the succession to 
the duchy, 30-32 ; taken prisoner 
by Joan of Flanders, 31 ; the 
marriage of, with Joan of Pen- 
thievre, 32 ; defeated at Auray, 
35 ; the chateau of Suscino taken 
by, 210 

Bluebeard. The villain in the 
nursery-tale ; Gilles de Retz 
identified with, 174, 180; the 
story of, identified with the story 
of Comorre and Triphyna, 180 

Blue Chamber. A boudoir in the 
chateau of Tourlaville, 209 

Bodmin. A town in Cornwall; 
mentioned, 278 



Boiteux. A fiend ; in the story 
of the Princess Starbright, 123, 
124, 125 

Boncotest, College of. One of 
the colleges of the old University 
of Paris ; Fontenelle at, 229 

Bonny Kilmeny. A ballad by 
James Hogg ; mentioned, 327 

Bourdais, Marc. A peasant, nick- 
named Maraud ; in the story of 
the Lost Daughter, 75-77 

Bouteville. John of, Seigneur of 
Faouet ; mentioned, 335 

Boy who Served the Fairies, 
The. The story of, 88-95 

Bran ('Crow'). A Breton war- 
rior ; the story of, 225-227 ; 
analogies between the story of, 
and the poem of Sir Tristrem, 
227-228 

Brengwain. A lady of Ysonde's 
suite ; in the story of Tristrem 
and Ysonde, 267, 269, 271, 272 

Brenha, Father Jose. A Portu- 
guese antiquary ; mentioned, 47 

Breochan. A legendary Welsh 
king, father of St Nennocha, 340 

Breri. A Breton poet, 255 

Brest. A town in Brittany, 354, 
368, 371 

i Breton. The language, 15-16 
Bretons. The race ; their origin 
and affinities, 13-15, 17, 37 11. ; 
Bretons join William of Nor- 
mandy in his expedition against 
England, 29, 232, 233 ; send an 
expedition to help Owen Glen- 
dower, 234 ; defeat the English 
in a naval battle, 236 
Brevelenz . A village in Brittany ; 

a fireplace in the church of, 381 
Brezonek. The language spoken 

by the Bretons, 15-16 
Brian. Son of Eudo of Brittany, 29 
Bride of Satan, The. The story 

of, 143-144 ; mentioned, 147 
Britain. Celts flee from, to Brit- 
tany, before the Saxon invaders, 
15, 17 ; subject kingdoms of, in 
Brittany, 19 ; immigrants from, 
in Brittany, form a confederacy 
and fight against the Franks, 22- 
23 ; the headquarters of the 
Druidic cult, 245 ; Arthurian 
romance indigenous to, 255 ; St 
Patera founds religious houses 
in, 348 ; St Samson fled from, to 



397 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 



Brittany, 350 ; Procopius' story 
of the ferrying of the Breton dead 
over to, 383-384 

Britons. The race ; members of, 
emigrate to Brittany, 15, 17, 22- 
23 ; carried Arthurian romance 
to Brittany, 254, 255 

Brittany. Divisions and character 
of the country, 13 ; Julius Caesar 
in, 16 ; the Latin tongue did not 
spread over, 17 ; the origin of the 
name, 17 ; Nomenoe wins the 
independence of, 23 ; invaded by 
Northmen, 25 ; the Northmen 
expelled from, 26 ; division of, 
into counties and seigneuries, 27 ; 
relations with Normandy, 27- 
30 ; French influences in, 30 ; 
the War of the Two Joans, 30- 
3 1 - 35 - 36; annexed to France 
by Francis I, 36 ; the prehistoric 
stone monuments of, 37-53 ; the 
fairies of, 54-95 ; the sprites and 
demons of, 96-105 ; ' world-tales ' 
in, 106-155; folk-tales of, 156- 
172 ; popular legends of, 173- 

N 202 ; the chateaux of, 202-2 i'o ; 
hero-tales of, 211-240 ; sends 
help to Owen Glendower in his 
conflict with the English, 234 ; 
a British army in, 237 ; the 
black art in, 241-253 ; Arthurian 
romance in, 254-282 ; Arthur 
found Excalibur in, 256 ; Tris- 
trem in, 270-271, 272 ; the scene 
of the Lais of Marie de France, 
284 ; the saints of, 332-371 ; 
many saints in, 350 ; costumes 
of, 372-377 ; customs of, 378- 
388 ; religious observance in, 
377-378 ; holy wells in, 381- 
382 ; observances relating to the 
dead and interments, 382-384, 
386-388 ; Calvaries in, 384-385 ; 
wedding ceremonies in, 385- 
386 

Brittany, Counts and Dukes of. 
See under Alain ; Arthur ; Blois, 
Charles of ; Conan ; Dreux ; 
Eudo ; Francis ; Geoffrey ; 
Hoel ; John ; and Salomon 

Brittia. Procopius' name for 
Britain, 383 

Broceliande. A forest in Brit- 
tany, 54-73 ; the shrine of 
Arthurian story, 55 ; the Korri- 
gan a denizen of, 56 ; the scene 

398 



of the adventures of Merlin 
and Vivien, 64 ; the fountain of 
Baranton in, 70-71 ; lines on, 
71 ; in the story of Bruno of La 
Montagne, 72-73 ; the wood of 
Hellean a part of, 221 ; men- 
tioned, 338 
Brodineuf. A Breton chateau, 
207 

Brownies. Elfish beings of small 
size ; distinct from fairies, 87 

Brunhild a. Queen of Austrasia ; 
mentioned, 31 

Bruno of La Montagne. The 
story of, 72-73 

Bruyant. A friend of Butor of 
La Montagne ; in the story of 
Bruno of La Montagne, 72-73 

Bugelnoz, or Teus. A beneficent 
spirit of the Vannes district, 100 

Burial Customs. In Brittany, 
382-384, 386-388 

Burns, Robert. The poet ; his 
use of old songs and ballads, 211 ; 
mentioned, 241 

Buron. A knight ; in the Lay of 
the Ash-tree, 318-320 

Butor. Baron of La Montagne ; 
in the story of Bruno of La Mon- 
tagne, 72 



C 

Cadoudal, Georges. A Chouan 
leader; mentioned, 25 

Caerleon-upon-Usk. A town in 
Wales ; Tristrem sails for, 263 ; 
mentioned, 21 

Cesar. See Julius 

Calendar, The. Supernatural 
beings often associated with, 97 

Caliburn. A name for Excalibur. 
See Excalibur 

Callernish. A district in the 
island of Lewis, Outer Hebrides ; 
mentioned, 53 

Calvaries . Representations of 
the passion on the Cross ; com- 
mon in Brittany, 384-385 

Camaret. A town in Brittany ; 
megaliths at, 41 

Camelot. A legendary town in 
England, the scene of King 
Arthur's Court; the battle at, 
in which King Arthur was killed, 
344 ; mentioned, 64 



Glossary <§f Index 



Can ados. King Mark's Constable, 

in the story of Tristrem and 

Ysonde, 272 
Cancoet. A village in Brittany ; 

the Maison des Follets at, 49 
Caradeuc. A Breton chateau, 

207 

Cardigan Bay. A bay in Wales; 
the site of a submerged city, ac- 
cording to Welsh legend, 187, 188 

Cardiganshire. Welsh county ; 
mentioned, 22 

Carhaix. A town in Brittany ; 
Comorre the ruler of, 180 

Carnac . A town in Brittany ; the 
megaliths at, 42-45 ; the legend 
of, 44-45; the 'Benediction of 
the Beasts ' at, 45 ; sometimes 
called ' Ty C'harriquet,' 98 ; 
its megaliths supposed to have 
been built by the gorics, 98 ; the 
gorics' revels around the megaliths 
of, 99 

Caroline. Queen of England , wife 
of George II ; mentioned, 196 

Castle of the Sun, The. The 
story of, 131-137 

Cattwg. A town in Wales ; Talie- 
sin and Gildas said to have been 
educated at the school of, 21 

Cayot Delandre, F. M. A Breton 
poet, 43 

' Celtic .' The term ; its disputed 
connotation, 37 

Celts. The race; the Bretons 
a division of, 14-15 ; Druidism 
may not have originated with, 
245 ; musical and poetic elements 
in the temperament of, 339 

Chamber of the Black Cavalier. 
In the ballad of Azenor the Pale, 
362 

Chambord. A famous French 
chateau; mentioned, 206 

Champ Dolent ('Field of Woe'). 
The field in which the menhir 
of Dol stands, 40 ; the battle in, 
40 

Champtoce. A Breton chateau ; 

the home of Gilles de Retz, 175, 

176, 179-180 
Changelings. The Breton fairies 

and, 83 

Chansons de Gestes. Medieval 
French poems with an heroic 
theme ; Villemarque's work 
marked by the style of, 224-225 



Chants populaires de la 
Bretagne. The sub-title of 
Villemarque's Barzaz-Breiz. See 

f^Barzaz-Breiz 

Chapelle du Due. A chapel at 
Treguier, built by Duke John V, 
353 

Charlemagne. The Emperor; 

mentioned, 225 
Charles I (the Bald). King of 

France ; Nomenoe rises against, 

23, 337-338 
Charles V. King of France ; 

mentioned, 32 
Charles VI. King of France ; 

mentioned, 174 
Charles VIII. King of France ; 

Anne of Brittany married to, 36 
Charles. A youth ; in the story 

of the Princess of Tronkolaine, 

115-121 

Chase, The. Superstitions of, 301 
Chateau des Paulpiquets. A 
name given to a megalithic struc- 
ture in Questembert, 49 
Chateaux. Of Brittany ; their 
rich legendary and historical 
associations, 202-203 ; stories of, 
203-210 

Chateaubriand. Francois-Rene- 
Auguste, Viscount of ; famous 
French writer and statesman ; 
associated with the chateau of 
Comburg, 207 

Chateaubriant. A Breton chateau, 
207 

Chateaubriant. Frangoise de 
Foix, Countess of ; a story of her 
relations with King Francis I and 
her fate, 207 ; the chateau of 
Suscino given to, by Francis I, 
210 

Chaveau-Narishkine, Countess. 
Restored the chateau of Kerjolet, 
208 

Childebat. A Breton king, 366 ; 
and St Pol, 367 

Chramne. Son of Clotaire I, King 
of the Franks, 40 

Christianity. St Samson teaches, 
in Brittany, 17-19; the Curio- 
solites refuse to receive the 
teachings of St Malo, 342 

Church. The early ; hostility of, 
to the fairies, 56 

Cinderella. The story of ; men- 
tioned, 144 



399 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 



Cisalpine Gaul. Roman pro- 
vince ; had no Druidic priest- 
hood, 245 

Clairschach. The Highland harp; 
replaced as the national instru- 
ment by the bagpipe, 229 

Claude. Queen of Francis I of 
France, 36 

Cleder. A town in Brittany ; St 
Keenan built a monastery at, 344 

Clerk of Rohan, The. The story 
of, 189-193 

Clisson. A Breton chateau, 204- 
205 

Clisson, Oliver de. A celebrated 
Breton soldier, Constable of 
France ; fought in the War of 
the Two Joans, 35, 204 ; and the 
chateau of Clisson, 204 ; and the 
chateau of Josselin, 205, 206 

Clot aire I . King of the Franks, 40 

Coadelan. The manor of ; oc- 
cupied by Fontenelle, 230, 231 ; 
has gone to decay, 232 

Coadelan, The Lady of. Her 
daughter carried off by Fonte- 
nelle, 229-230 

Coat-Squiriou, Marquis of. In 
the story of the Youth who did 
not Know, 106-109 

Cockno. A place in Scotland ; 
inscribed stones at, 47 

Coesoron. A river in Brittany, 17 

Coetman. The house of, 204 

Coetman, Viscount of. A Breton 
nobleman; mentioned, 204-205 

Coetquen, Tower of. One of the 
towers in the city wall of Dinan, 
209 

Coiffes. Of Brittany ; specimens 

of, in the museum at Kerjolet, 

208. See Head-dress 
Cole, King. A half -legendary 

British king ; mentioned, 173 
Colodoc. A name given to St 

Keenan. See St Keenan 
Combat of Saint-Cast, The. The 

ballad of, 236-238 
Combourg. A Breton chateau , 20 7- 

208 ; Chateaubriand associated 

with, 208 
Comorre the Cursed. The story 

of, 180-184 ; mentioned, 382 
Comte de Gabalis, Le. The Abbe 

de Villars' work ; mentioned, 64 
Con an I. Count of Brittany 

(Count of Rennes), 27 



Conan II. Duke of Brittany ; 
and Duke William of Normandy, 
27-29 

Con an III. Duke of Brittany, 30 ; 
patron of Abelard, 248 

Con an IV. Duke of Brittany, 30 

Con an. Father of Morvan, 215 

Concarneau. A town in Brit- 
tany ; megaliths at, 42 ; the 
chateau of Kerjolet in, 208 

Concoret. A town in Brittany ; 
had a reputation as the abode of 
sorcerers, 242 

Concurrus. A village in Brittany ; 
megaliths at, 42 

Conn aught. An Irish province ; St 
Keenan a native of, 343 

Constance. Daughter of Conan 
IV of Brittany ; married to 
Geoffrey Plantagenet, 30 

Contes populaires de la Haute- 
Bretagne. P. Sebillot's work ; 
cited, 83 n. 

Cork. A county of Ireland ; men- 
tioned, 355 

Cornouaille. A district in Brit- 
tany ; the ancient Cornubia, 19 ; 
formed by immigrants from Brit- 
ain, 23 ; Azenor the Pale, a ballad 
of, 360-364 ; distinctive national 
costume in, 372 ; mentioned, 108 

Cornubia. A British kingdom 
in Armorica, the modern Cor- 
nouaille, 19 

Cornwall. An English county, 
anciently a kingdom ; in the 
story of Tristrem and Ysonde, 
257-262 ; mentioned, 278 

Corseul. A town in Brittany ; 
the people of, refuse the teachings 
of St Malo, 342-343 

Corstorphine. A village near 
Edinburgh ; the legend of the 
building of the church at, 51 

Costume. Breton ; specimens of, 
in the museum at Kerjolet, 208 ; 
the faithfulness of the Bretons 
to their national costume, 372 ; 
the varieties of, 372-377 ; the 
costume of Cornouaille, 372 ; of 
Quimper, 372-373 ; of the 
workers of the Escoublac dis- 
trict, 373-374 ; of the women of 
Granville, 374 ; of the women of 
Ouessant, 374 ; of the men of St 
Pol > 375 '. of Pont l'Abbe and 
the Bay of Audierne, 376 ; of 



4OO 



Glossary {§P Index 



Morlaix, 376-377 ; gala dress in 
Brittany, 377 

C6tes-du-Nord. One of the de- 
partments of Brittany, 13 ; part 
of the ancient kingdom of 
Domnonia, 19 ; mentioned, 41, 
88, 167, 282, 351 

Coudre. A maiden ; in the Lay 
of the Ash-tree, 319-320 

Courils. A race of gnomes pecu- 
liar to Brittany, 87, 98-99 

Couronnes de Ste Barbe. Amu- 
lets sold at the festival of St 
Barbe at Le Faouet, 333 

Cox, Rev. Sir G. W. Cited, 275 n. 

Craon. The house of, 174 

Crions. A race of gnomes peculiar 
to the ruins of Tresmalouen, 99 

Cromlech. The term ; its deriva- 
tion and significance, 38 

Cross of the Thousand Sails. 
A monument at Guic-sezne, 370 

Crusades. Mentioned, 190 

Culross. A town in Scotland ; 
St Kentigern born at, 357 

Cup-and-ring Altar. A monu- 
ment discovered in the Milton of 
Colquhoun district, Scotland, 47 

Cup-and-ring Markings. Sym- 
bols inscribed on megaliths ; 
their meaning and purpose, 46- 
48 

Cupid and Psyche. The story of ; 
mentioned, 137 

Curiosolit^. A Gallic tribe which 
inhabited Brittany, 16 ; the 
Curiosolites refuse to receive 
Christian teaching from St Malo, 
342-343 

Cymbeline. A half-legendary 
British king ; mentioned, 173 



Dagworth, Sir Thomas. An Eng- 
lish knight ; at the battle of La 
Roche-Derrien, 31 

Dahut. Princess, daughter of 
Gradlon ; in the legend of Ys, 
185, 186 

Danae. A maiden, in Greek 
mythology, mother of Perseus ; 
mentioned, 358 
Daoine Sidhe. Irish deities, 87 
Daoulas. A village in Brittany ; 
the statue of the Virgin in the 



2 C 



abbey of, adorned with a girdle 
of rubies, 236 

Dead, The. In Breton tradition, 
supposed to return to earth in 
the form of birds, 227 ; food 
left for, 382-383, 387 ; burial 
customs, 382-384, 386-388; the 
Breton dead ferried over to 
Britain, 383-384 

Death-bird. A bird whose note is 
supposed to portend misfortune to 
the maiden who hears it, 145, 147 

Death-spirit. The Ankou, 101-102 

Deer God. A deity of the North 
American Indians, 301 

Delandre, Cayot. See Cayot 

Demeter. Greek corn goddess; 
mentioned, 59 

Demon Lover, The. A Scottish 
ballad ; mentioned, 144 

Demons. Of Brittany, 96-105; 
the invariable accompaniment of 
an illiterate peasantry, 96 

Denis Pyramus. An Anglo- 
Norman chronicler ; on the poems 
of Marie de France, 284 

Desonelle, Princess. Heroine of 
Sir Torrent of Portugal ; men- 
tioned, 358 

Devil, The. The erection of the 
megalithic monuments ascribed 
to, 49 ; the Teus and, 100. See 
also Satan 

Diana. Roman moon-goddess ; 
mentioned, 74 

Diancecht. An Irish god ; men- 
tioned, 247 

Dinan. I. A town in Brittany, 194, 
195.209. II. The chateau of, 209 

Dol. A town in Brittany ; the men- 
hir near, 18, 39-40, 318; St Samson 
settled near, 18; the Northmen 
defeated by Alain Barbe-torte 
near, 26 ; the legend of the men- 
hir of, 40 ; Buron lived at, 318 ; 
St Turiau, or Tivisiau, associated 
with, 338-339 ; the legend of the 
founding of, by St Samson, 350 ; 
the legend of St Budoc of, 353- 
358 

Dol, Bishop of. And St Tivisiau, 
33 8_ 339 

Dol des March ands. The name 
given to a dolmen near Dol, 48 

Dolmens. Derivation and mean- 
ing of the term, 38 ; purpose of 
the monuments, 38-39; the 

4OI 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 



dolmen-chapel at Plouaret, 41 ; 
the dolmen at Tregunc, 42 ; the 
dolmen at Rocenaud, 46 ; cup- 
and-ring markings upon, 46- 
48 ; the dolmen at Penhapp, 48 ; 
the dolmen near the wood of 
Rocher, 50 ; the dolmen at La 
Lande-Marie, 51 ; the dolmen of 
Esse, 53 ; haunted by nains, 96 ; 
cup-hollows on, may have been 
intended as receptacles for food 
for the dead, 383 

Dolorous Knight, The Lay of 
the, or The Lay of the Four 
Sorrows. One of the Lais of 
Marie de France, 328-331 

Domnonee. A county of Brittany, 
23. See also Domnonia 

Domnonia. A British kingdom in 
Armorica, 19, 27. See also 
Domnonee 

Dottin, Georges. Cited, 37 n. 

Douarnenez, Bay of. A bay on 
the Breton coast ; the city of Ys 
said to have been situated there, 
185 

Drachenfels. A famous castle 
on the Rhine ; mentioned, 203 

Dreux, Pierre de. Duke of 
Brittany ; defeats John of Eng- 
land at Nantes, 30 

Drez, Job Ann. A sexton; in a 
story of the Yeun, 103-105 

Druidism. In early times, sorcery 
identified with, 245 ; the ques- 
tion whether Druidism was of 
Celtic or non-Celtic origin, 245 ; 
the nature of the practices of, 
245-248 ; survival of Druidic 
spells and ritual, 246; an 
Eastern origin claimed for, 247 ; 
survivals of the Druidic priest- 
hood, 247; a college of Druidic 
priestesses situated near Nantes, 
253 ; mentioned, 53. See also 
Druids 

Druids. Origin of the cult, 245 ; 
the nature of their practices, 
245-246 ; in the legend of Ken- 
tigern's birth, condemn Thenaw, 
357. See also Druidism 

Dublin. The city ; Tristrem 
comes to, 263 ; Tristrem's second 
visit to, 265 

Dubric. Archbishop who offici- 
ated at the marriage of King 
Arthur and Guinevere, 67 



Du Guesclin, Bertrand. A 
famous knight, Constable of 
France ; helps Charles of Blois 
in the War of the Two Joans, 31- 
32 ; a notable figure in Breton 
legend, 32 ; buried at Saint- 
Denis, 32 ; the legend of the 
Ward of, 33-35 ; taken prisoner 
at the battle of Auray, 35 

Dungiven. A town in Ireland ; 
Druidic ritual still observed at, 
246 

Dunpender. A mountain in East 
Lothian, now called Traprain 
Law ; Thenaw cast from, 357 

Dusn. Spirits inhabiting Gaul, 100 

Dylan. A British sea-god ; men- 
tioned, 69 

Dyonas. A god of the Britons ; 
Vivien sometimes represented as 
the daughter of, 69 



E 

Edinburgh. The city ; mentioned, 

51, 60, 203 
Edmund. King of East Anglia ; 

mentioned, 284 
Eliduc, The Lay of. One of the 

Lais of Marie de France, 305-313 
Elle. A river in Brittany, 19, 

332 

Elorn. A river in Brittany, 19 
Elphin. Son of the Welsh chief- 
tain Urien ; taught by Taliesin, 
21 

Elves. In Teutonic mythology, 
diminutive spirits ; the fairy race 
of Celtic countries may have been 
confused with, 87 

Emerald Coast, The. A district 
in the southern portion of Brit- 
tany, 13 

England. I. The country; loses 
its ancient British name, which 
becomes that of Brittany, 17 ; 
Bretons who accompanied William 
the Conqueror receive land in, 
232 ; Bretons invade, from Wales, 
234 ; claimed as the birthplace 
of Arthurian romance, 2 54 ; King 
Arthur moves against the Em- 
peror Lucius' threatened invasion 
of, 275 ; the existence of King 
Arthur credited in, in the twelfth 
century, 278 ; Marie de France 



402 



Glossary 

lived in, 283. II. The State; 

supports John of Montfort's claim 

to Brittany, 31 
Enora. See St Enora 
Equitan, The Lay of. One of the 

Lais of Marie de France, 313- 

Erdeven. A town in Brittany ; 
megaliths at, 42 

Ermonie. A mythical kingdom, 
in the story of Tristrem and 
Ysonde ; Roland Rise, Lord of, 
258 ; Duke Morgan becomes 
Lord of, 259 ; Tristrem returns 
to, 261 

Ernault, E. Cited, 16 n. 

Eryri, Mount. King Arthur slew 
the giant Ritho upon, 277 

Escoublac. A town in Brittany, 
373 

Esse. A village in Brittany ; 
the dolmen of, 53 

Estaing, Pierre d'. A French 
alchemist; mentioned, 175 

Etang de Laval. A lake, sup- 
posed to cover the site of the 
submerged city of Ys, 185 

Ethwije. Wife of Geoffrey I of 
Brittany, 196, 198 

Eudo. Count of Brittany, son of 
Geoffrey I, 27, 29 

Eufuerien. King of Cumbria, 357 

Even the Great. Breton leader ; 
defeats the Norsemen at the 
battle of Kerlouan, 225, 227 

Ewen. Son of Eufuerien, King of 
Cumbria, 357 

Excalibur. King Arthur's mirac- 
ulous sword ; given to Arthur in 
Brittany, 256-257; Arthur kills 
the giant of Mont-Saint-Michel 
with, 277 ; mentioned, 280 

Exeter. The city ; mentioned, 
307 

F 

Fables. Of Marie de France, 283 
Fairies. Credited with the erec- 
tion of the megalithic monuments, 
49-52 ; magically imprisoned in 
dolmens, trees, and pillars, 52 ; 
the fairy lore of Brittany bears 
evidence cf Celtic influence, 54 ; 
the fairies of Brittany hostile to 
man, 54, 55-56, 85 ; the Church 
the enemy of, 56; what derived 



& Index 

from, in folk-lore, 73-74; the 
varying conceptions of, 73 ; the 
Bretons' ideas of, 74-75 ; the 
fairies of the hordes, 75, 88 ; 
the fairies' distaste for being 
recognized, and stories illustrat- 
ing this, 82 ; bestow magical 
sight, 82-83 ; and changelings, 
83 ; prone to take animal, bird, 
and fish shapes, 83-84 ; probable 
reasons for the fairies' malevo- 
lence, 85-86 ; origin of the fairy 
idea, 85-87 ; may have origin- 
ally been deities, 87 ; in Brittany, 
conceived as of average mortal 
height, 87 ; the M argots la fee, 
a variety of , 88 ; a story illustrat- 
ing fairy malevolence, 88 ; the 
fairy-woman in the Lay of 
Graelent, 322-328 

Fairyland. Graelent enters, 326 ; 
identified with the Celtic Other- 
world, 327 ; a place of death and 
remoteness, 328 

Fairy-wife. A folk-lore motif, 327 

Falcon, The. A ballad, 196-198 

Farmer, Captain George. Com- 
mander of the Quebec ; in a Breton 
ballad, 238 

Fays. See Fairies 

February. The month ; personi- 
fied in the story of Princess 
Starbright, 128-129 

Felix. Bishop of Quimper, 337 

Feuillet , Octave . A French novel- 
ist ; mentioned, 206 

Finette Cendron ('Cinderella'). 
Mme d'Aulnoy's story of ; men- 
tioned, 144 

Finistere. One of the depart- 
ments of Brittany, 13 ; part of the 
ancient kingdom of Domnonia, 
19 ; mentioned, 41, 49, 180 

Fions. A name sometimes given 
to the fairies in Brittany, oc- 

jjTcurring also in Scottish and Irish 
folk-lore, 74 

Fire-goddess. St Barbe probably 
represents the survival of a, 334 

Fireplaces in Breton churches, 
380-381 

Fisherman and the Fairies, The. 
The story of, 80-83 

Flamel, Nicolas. A French al- 
chemist; mentioned, 175 

Flanders. The country; Guge- 
mar in, 292 ; mentioned, 145 



403 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 



Folk-tales. Of Brittany, 156-172 

FONTENELLE, GUY EDER DE. A 

Breton leader, associated with 
the Catholic League, 229-232 

Forster, Professor Wendelin. 
And the origin of Arthurian 
romance, 254 

Forth. A river in Scotland ; men- 
tioned, 357 

Forth, Firth of. Mentioned, 356, 
359 

Foster-brother, The. The story 
of, 167-172 

Foucault, Jean. A Breton 
peasant ; a story of, 244 

Fougeres. A town in Brittany ; 
had a reputation as the dwelling- 
place of sorcerers, 242 

Fouquet, Nicolas. A French 
statesman ; imprisoned in the 
castle of Nantes, 205 

Four Sorrows, The Lay of the, 
or The Lay of the Dolorous 
Knight. One of the Lais of 
Marie de France, 328-331 

Frag an. Governor of Leon , father 
of St Winwaloe, 370 

France. I. The country ; man- 
ners and fashions of, spread in 
Brittany, 30 ; the were- wolf 
superstition prevalent in, 291. 
II. The State ; intervenes in 
the conflict between Brittany and 
Normandy, 30 ; Brittany an- 
nexed by, under Francis I, 36 

Francis I. King of France; an- 
nexes Brittany to France, 36 ; 
and Francoise de Foix, the 
Countess of Chateaubriant , 207 ; 
gives the chateau of Suscino to 
Francoise de Foix, 210 

Francis I. Duke of Brittany, 36 

Franks. The people; exercised 
a nominal suzerainty over Brit- 
tany, 23 ; Morvan fights with, 
216-221; "Morvan will return 
to drive the Franks from the 
Breton land," 224 

Franks, King of The. In Ville- 
marque's Barzaz-Breiz ; and 
Morvan's fight with the Moor, 
218-220 ; Morvan fights with, 
220-221 ; the character drawn 
in the style of the chansons de 
gestes, 224 

Fredegonda. Queen of Neustria ; 
mentioned, 31 

404 



Fremiet, Emmanuel. A French 
sculptor ; mentioned, 206 

Frene . A maiden ; in the Lay 
of the Ash- tree, 318-320 

Fulbert . A canon of Notre-Dame , 
Paris, uncle of Heloise, 249 ; 
mutilated Abelard, 250 

Funeral Customs and Cere- 
monies. In Brittany, 382-384, 
386-388 

G 

Gaidoz, H. Cited, 212 n. 

Ganhardin. Brother of Ysonde 
of the White Hand ; in the story 
of Tristrem and Ysonde, 271-272, 
273 

Garb of Old Gaul, The. A song ; 

mentioned, 237 
Gargantua. A mythical giant ; 

the erection of the megalithic 

monuments ascribed to, 49 
Garlon, The Clerk of. In a 

legend of the Marquis of 

Guerande, 199-202 
Gavr'inis ('Goat Island'). An 

island in the Gulf of Morbihan ; 

the tumulus at, 48 ; nains' 

inscriptions on the megaliths of, 

98 

Gawaine, Sir. One of King 
Arthur's knights ; mentioned, 

357 

Geber. An Arabian alchemist ; 

mentioned, 175 
Geoffrey I. Duke of Brittany, 

27 ; in the legend of the Falcon, 

196 

Geoffrey II (Plantagenet). Duke 
of Brittany, 30 

Geoffrey of Monmouth. An 
English chronicler ; the pre- 
sentation of Vivien in his work, 
69 ; and the presentation of 
Merlin, 70 ; acknowledged a 
Breton source for his work, 255 

Gild as. A British chronicler ; 
fellow-pupil with Taliesin at the 
school of Cattwg, 21 ; St Keenan 
associated with, 343 ; St Bieuzy 
a friend and disciple of, 345 ; 
the bell of, in the chapel at 
La Roche-sur-Blavet, 345 ; St 
Bieuzy dies in the presence of, 
346 ; St Pol of Leon a fellow- 
student of, 364 



Glossary Index 



Giraldus Cambrensis. A Welsh 
chronicler ; and the legend of 
the submerged city, 187 

Girdle. Superstition of the, 302 

Glain Neidr. The sea-snake's egg 
or adder's stone, used in Druidic 
rites, 247 ; Heloi'se, represented 
as a sorceress, said to have pos- 
sessed, 252 

Glasgow. The city ; mentioned, 
357. 359 

Goelc. A seigneury of Brittany ; 

a Count of, the father of St 

Budoc of Dol, 354, 355 
Goezenou. A village in Brittany ; 

the cheeses petrified by St Goeze- 
nou preserved in the church of, 

369 ; holy well at, 382 
Goidelic Dialect. A Celtic 

tongue, 15 
Golden Bell, Chateau of the. 

In the story of the Youth who did 

not Know, 111-114 
Golden Bell, Princess. In the 

story of the Youth who did not 

Know, 110-115 
Golden Herb. A plant supposed 

in Druidical times to possess 

magical properties, 247-248 
Gomme, Sir G. L. Cited, 173, 

247 n. 

Gorics. A race of gnomes peculiar 

to Brittany, 87, 98-99 
Goulven. A village in Brittany ; 

historical tablet in the church of, 

225 

Gouvernayl. Servitor to Tris- 
trem ; in the story of Tristrem 
and Ysonde, 263, 264 

Gradlon Meur. A ruler of Ys ; 
in the legend of the city, 185-186 ; 
the statue of, at Quimper, 188- 
189 ; supposed to have intro- 
duced the vine into Brittany, 189 

Graelent, The Lay of. One of 
the Lais of Marie de France, 320- 
328 

Grail. Legend of the ; a parallel 

incident in the Lay of Gugemar 

and, 301-302 
Grallo. King of Brittany ; and 

St Ronan, 367 
Grand Mont. An eminence upon 

which St Gildas built his abbey, 

249 

Grand Tromenie. The special 
celebration of the Pardon of the 



Mountain held every sixth year, 

379-38o 

Granville. A town in Brittany; 
women's costume in, 374 

Grifescorne. King of the De- 
mons ; in the story of the Youth 
who did not Know, 111, 114 

Groabgoard. An image at Quini- 
pily, 381 

Grottes aux Fees. Name given 
to the megalithic monuments by 
the Bretons, 48, 49 

Guemene. A town in Brittany, 
334 

Guerande. A town in Brittany, 
198 

Guerande. Louis-Francois. Mar- 
quis of ; the story of. 199-202 

Guerech. Count of Vannes ; in 
the story of Comorre the Cursed, 
180-181, 183, 184 

Gugemar , The Lay of . One of the 
Lais of Marie de France, 292-302 

Guic-sezne. A town in Brittany, 
37° 

Guildeluec. Wife of Eliduc, 306- 
3i3 

Guillardun. A princess ; in the 

Lay of Eliduc, 307-313 
Guillevic, A. Cited, 16 n. 
Guimiliau. A town in Brittany ; 

the Calvary at, 384-385 
Guindy. A river in Brittany, 167, 

220 

Guinevere. King Arthur's Queen ; 
mentioned, 67 ; comforted by 
St Keenan after Arthur's death, 
344 

Guingamp. A town in Brittany, 
229 

Gwen. Mother of St Winwaloe, 
37° 

Gwenaloe ('He that is white'). 
The Breton name for St Win- 
waloe, 370 

Gwenn-Estrad . A place in Wales ; 
battle of, 22 

Gwennolaik. A maiden of Tre- 
guier ; in the story of the Foster- 
brother, 167-172 

Gwennole. A holy man ; in the 
legend of the city of Ys, 185, 186 

Gwezklen. The Breton name for 
Du Guesclin, 32. See Du Gues- 
clin 

Gwindeluc. A monk, a disciple 
of St Convoyon, 335 



405 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 



Gwyddno. Twelfth- century Welsh 
bard ; relates the story of the 
submerged city, 188 



H 

Hainault. A Belgian province ; 

mentioned, 328 
Harp, The. Not now popular in 

Brittany, but in ancient times 

one of the national instruments, 

228-229 

Hatchet of Brittany, The. An 
appellation of Morvan, 221 

Haute-Becherel. A town in Brit- 
tany ; pagan temple at, 342 

Head-dress. Of the women of 
the Escoublac district, 374 ; of 
the women of Ouessant, 374 ; of 
the women of Villecheret, 375 ; 
of the men of Brittany, does not 
vary much, 375 ; headgear of the 
men of Plougastel, 375 ; of the 
women of Muzillac, 376 ; of the 
women of Pont 1' Abbe and the Bay 
of Audierne, 376 ; of the women 
of Morlaix, 376. See also Coiffes 

Heaven. An old Breton concep- 
tion of, 388, 390-391 

Helena, Lady. Niece of Duke 
Hoel I of Brittany ; carried off by 
the giant of Mont-Saint-Michel, 
275, 276 

Hell. In the story of the Bride 

of Satan, 144 ; an old Breton 

conception of, 388-389 
Hellean, Wood of. A former 

part of the forest of Broceliande, 

221, 224 

Heloise. An abbess, beloved of 
Abelard ; the story of Abelard 
and, 248-253 ; in a Breton ballad 
represented as a sorceress, 250- 
253 

Hen an. Manor of, in Brittany, 364 
Henderson, George. Cited, 52 
Hennebont. A Breton chateau, 206 
Henry II. King of England, 30 ; 
identified as the king to whom 
Marie of France dedicated her 
Lais, 284 
Henry III. King of England ; men- 
tioned, 284 
Henry IV. King of France ; 
and Fontenelle, 231-232 ; men- 
tioned, 204 

406 



Henwg. A Welsh bard ; said to 
be the father of Taliesin, 21 

Hers art de la Villemarque, 
Vicomte. Writer on Breton leg- 
endary lore ; his poem on No- 
menoe, 23 ; his ballad of Alain 
Barbe-torte, 25-27 ; and a story 
of the Clerk of Rohan, 190 n. ; 
his Barzaz-Breiz, 21 1-2 12 ; stories 
from his Barzaz-Breiz, 212-237 ; 
indications of the source of his 
matter, 224-225 ; and the story 
of Fontenelle, 230 ; and the story 
of the Combat of Saint-Cast. 
237 ; on the story of Azenor the 
Pale, 363, 364 ; cited, 57 n., 65 n., 
184 n., 247 

Herve. Son of Kyvarnion ; the 
story of the wolf and, 22 ; men- 
tioned, 390 

Highlanders. Scottish ; in the 
story of the Combat of Saint- 
Cast, 237 

Highlands. Scottish; beliefs in, 
respecting stones, 52-53 ; the 
' Washing Woman ' of, 100 

Hildwall. A pious man of 
Angers ; St Convoj^on lodges 
with, 336 

Hodain. A dog ; in the story of 
Tristrem and Ysonde, 267 

Hoel I. Duke of Brittany, 275, 
276, 278 

Hoel V. Duke of Brittany, 30 

Holger. A half-mythical Danish 
hero ; mentioned, 212 

Holmes, T. Rice. Cited, 245 n. 

Holy Land. See Palestine. 

Houles. Caverns ; the Bretons 
suppose fairies to inhabit, 75 

Huon de Mery. A thirteenth- 
century writer ; on the fountain 
of Baranton, 71 

Hurlers, The. A Cornish leg- 
end; mentioned, 44 



I 

Iberians. A non-Aryan race, sup- 
posed to have inhabited Britain ; 
held by Rhys to be the originators 
of Druidism, 245 

Ida. King of Bernicia ; men- 
tioned, 21, 22 

Ile d'Arz. An island off the coast 
of Brittany ; megaliths in, 48 



Glossary 

Ile-de-France. A French pro- 
vince ; Marie of France said to 
have been a native of, 283 

Ile aux Moines. An island in the 
Gulf of Morbihan ; megalithic 
monuments in, 48 

Ile de Sein. An island off the 
Breton coast, 63 ; St Winwaloe 
settled on, 371 

Ile-Verte. An island off the 
Breton coast ; St Winwaloe lived 
on, 370 

Ille-et-Vilaine. One of the 
departments of Brittany, 13, 39, 
5° 

Inveresk. A village in Scotland ; 

mentioned, 359 
Iouenn. A young man; in the 

story of the Man of Honour, 147- 

155 

Ireland. Markings on the mega- 
lithic monuments in, 46 ; the leg- 
end of the submerged city in, 187 ; 
the harp anciently the national 
instrument of, 229 ; Tristrem 
in, 264, 265-267 ; Petranus, 
father of St Patern, goes to, 347 ; 
St Patern meets his father in, 
348 ; many saints in, 350 ; 
Azenor and Budoc in, 355-356 ; 
Budoc made King of, 356 ; late 
survival of the custom of keeping 
domestic bards in, 364 

Ireland, King of. In the story 
of Tristrem and Ysonde, 265, 266 

Ireland, Queen of. In the story 
of Tristrem and Ysonde, 264-267 

Irminsul. A Saxon idol ; prob- 
able connexion between the men- 
hir and the worship of, 18 n. 

Isidore of Seville. A Spanish 
ecclesiastic and writer ; men- 
tioned, 100 



J 

January. The month; personi- 
fied, in the story of the Princess 
Starbright, 128-129 

Jargeau. A town in France ; the 
battle of, 174 

J au dy . A river in Brittany ,31,167 

Jauioz. A seigneury in Langue- 
doc ; the story of Louis, Baron 
of, 145-146 

Jeanne Darc. The French hero- 



& Index 

ine ; mentioned, 174 ; the play 
or mystery of, 175 

Joan of Flanders. Wife of John 
of Montfort ; in the War of the 
Two Joans, 31 

Joan of Penthievre. See Pen- 
thievre 

Job the Witless. In the story of 
the Foster-brother, 169 

John (Lackland). King of Eng- 
land ; mentioned, 30 

John III. Duke of Brittany, 30 

John IV. Duke of Brittany. See 
Montfort, John of 

John V. Duke of Brittany, son of 
the famous John of Montfort, 
35-36 ; and Gilles de Retz, 179 ; 
built a magnificent tomb for St 
Yves, 353 

John. Duke of Chalons ; the cha- 
teau of Suscino given to, 210 

Josselin. A Breton chateau, 205- 
206 

Joyous Garden. A garden raised 
by enchantment by Merlin to 
please Vivien, 66 ; mentioned, 
67, 69 

Jud-Hael. A Breton chieftain ; 

the vision of, 20-21 
Judik-Hael. A Breton chieftain, 

son of Jud-Hael, 21 
Julius Cfsar. On the Druids of 

Gaul, 245 

K 

Kado the Striver. A Breton 
peasant, leader of a revolt, 197- 
198 

Karnak. A village in Egypt; 
mentioned, 43 

Karo . Son of a Breton chieftain ; 
in a story of Nomenoe, 23-25 

Kay, Sir. King Arthur's sene- 
schal, 275 

Kennedy. A character in a High- 
land tale, 51 

Kergariou, Comte de. And the 
story of Fontenelle, 230 

Kergivas. A place in Brittany ; 
the cheeses petrified by St Goeze- 
nou preserved in the manor of, 369 

Kergoaler, Couedic de. Captain 
of the Siivveillante ; in a Breton 
ballad, 238 

Kergonan. A village in the Ile 
aux Moines ; megaliths at, 48 

407 



Legends &* Romances of Brittany 



Keridwen. A fertility goddess 

who dwelt in Lake Tegid , Wales ; 

mentioned, 59 
Ker-is. A name of the city of 

Ys, 185. See Ys 
Kerjolet. A Breton chateau, 208 
Kerlaz. A village in Brittany, 

2 32 

Kerlescant. A village in Brit- 
tany ; megaliths at, 42 

Kerlouan. A town in Brittany ; 
battle at, between Norsemen and 
Bretons, 225 ; the oak on the 
battle-field at, 227 

Kermario. A village in Brittany ; 
megaliths at, 42 

Kermartin. A village in Brit- 
tany; St Yves born at, 350 

Kermorvan. A place in Brittany ; 
Yves the Seigneur of, in the 
ballad of Azenor the Pale, 360- 
363 

Kerodern, Michel de. A Breton 

missionary, 390 
Kerouez. An old chateau ; in the 

story of the Seigneur with the 

Horse's Head, 137 
Kersanton. A place in Brittany ; 

stone from, forms the Calvary of 

Guimiliau, 385 
Kervran. A village in Brittany ; 

the warrior Bran taken prisoner 

at, 225 

King of the Ants. In the story 

of the Princess of Tronkolaine, 

118, 119, 120 
King of the Birds. In the story 

of the Youth who did not Know, 

in, 113 

King of the Fishes. In a tale 
from Saint-Cast, 84-85 ; in the 
story of the Youth wh:> did not 
Know, 110, 114 

King of the Lions. In the story 
of the Princess of Tronkolaine, 
118, 119, 120 

King of the Sparrow-hawks. In 
the story of the Princess of 
Tronkolaine, 118, 119 

Kipling, Rudyard. Quoted, 86 

Korrigan, The. A forest fairy ; 
a denizen of Broceliande, 56 ; in 
the story of the Seigneur of 
Nann, 57-58; associated with 
water, an element of fertility, 
59; an enchantress, 60; in the 
story of the Unbroken Vow, 62- 

408 



63; desired union with humanity, 
64; mentioned, 69, 98 
Kyvarnion. A British bard, 
father of Herve, 22 



L 

Lady of La Garaye, The. Poem 
by Mrs Norton ; quoted, 194, 195, 
196 

Lady of the Lake. In Arthurian 
legend, Vivien ; foster-mother of 
Lancelot, 69, 257; of Breton 
origin, 256 ; gives Arthur the 
sword Excalibur, 256-257. See 
also Vivien 

La Garaye. A Breton chateau, 
near Dinan ; the story of the 
Lady of, 195 

Lailoken. A character in early 
British legend ; mentioned, 70 

Lais. Of Marie de France ; their 
value in the study of Breton 
lore, 283 ; date and other circum- 
stances of their composition, 283- 
284 ; stories from, 284-289, 292- 
33i 

Lake of Anguish, The. A lake in 
Hell ; in the story of the Bride 
of Satan, 144 ; in the story of 
the Baron of Jauioz, 146 

La Lande Marie. A place in Brit- 
tany ; the dolmen at, 51 

Lancelot, Sir. One of the 
Knights of the Round Table, son 
of King Ban of Benwik ; stolen 
and brought up by Vivien, 257 ; 
does not appear in Celtic legend, 
257 ; mentioned, 64, 69 

Landevennec. A town in Brit- 
tany ; a chapel of St Nicholas at, 
345 ; a monastery built at, by 
St Winwaloe, 371 

Landivisiau. A town in Brit- 
tany, 338 ; fine carvings in the 
church of, 339-340 

Landegu . A village in Cornwall ; 
St Keenan at, 344 

Lan go ad. A town in Brittany, 
198 

Language. Brezonek, the tongue 
of the Bretons, 15 ; the old 
Breton tongue closely similar to 
Welsh, 15 ; the Latin tongue did 
not spread over Brittany, 17 

Largoet. A Breton chateau, 206 



Glossary &* Index 



La Roche-Bernard. A town in 
Brittany, 376 

La Roche-sur-Blavet. A place 
in Brittany ; a retreat of Gildas 
and St Bieuzy, 345 

La Roche-Derrien. A place in 
Brittany ; battle at, 31 

La Roche-Jagu. A Breton cha- 
teau, 203-204 

La Rose. A young man ; in the 
story of the Magic Rose, 156-162 

Latin. The language ; did not 
spread over Brittany, 17 

Laustic, The Lay of. One of the 
Lais of Marie de France, 302-305 

Laval, Gilles de. See Retz 

Laval, Jean de. Governor of 
Brittany, 207 ; married to Fran- 
goise de Foix, Countess of Cha- 
teaubriant, 207 

Lay of the Were- Wolf, The. 
One of the Lais of Marie de 
France, 284-289 

League, The. A Catholic organ- 
ization formed against the 
Huguenots, 205, 206; Fontenelle 
associated with, 229 

Le Braz, Anatole. Cited, 102, I 
184 n. 

Le Clerc, L. Cited, 16 n. 
Le Croisic. A town in Brittany, 
373 

Le Faouet. A village in Brit- 
tany ; the chapel of St Barbe 
near, 332-333, 334~335 

Legend. The meaning of the 
term, 173 

Le Goff, P. Cited, 16 n. 

Le Grand, A. Cited, 184 n. 

Leguer. A town in Brittany, 
220 

Leguer, Lake of. In the story 
of the Princess Starbright, 121, 
131 

Lelian. Father of St Tivisiau, 338 
Le Moustoir-le-Juch. A village 

in Brittany ; fireplace in the 

church of, 381 
Leo IV. Pope ; Nomenoe sends 

gifts to, 337 ; and St Convoy on, 

337 

Leon. I. A county of Brittany, 
23, 143, 212, 225, 226, 229, 356, 
367, 388. II. The see of ; given 
to St Pol, 367 

Le Rouzic, Zacharie. A Breton 
archaeologist ; mentioned, 45 



Lewis. An island in the Outer 

Hebrides ; mentioned, 53 
Leyden, John. A Scottish poet 
and Orientalist ; his treatment 
of legendary material, 211 
Lezat. A town in Brittany ; had 
a reputation as the abode of 
sorcerers, 242 
Lez-Breiz, Morvan. See Morvan 
Lieue de Greve. A place in 
Brittany ; Arthur's fight with 
the dragon of, 278-281 
Livonia. The country ; were- wolf 

superstition in, 290 
Llanvithin. A village in Wales ; 

mentioned, 21 
Loc-Christ. Monastery of, built 
under the persuasion of St Win- 
waloe, 370-371 
Locmaria. A place in Brittany, 
199 

Locmariaquer. A town in Brit- 
tany ; megaliths at, 42 
Logres. An ancient British king- 
dom ; in the Lay of Eliduc, 306- 
311 

Loguivy-Plougras. A town in 

Brittany, 137 
Lohanec. A village in Brittany ; 
St Yves incumbent of, 351 
I Lohengrin. A knight, in German 
legend ; mentioned, 137 
Loire. The river ; mentioned, 16, 
174. 253 

Loire-Inferieure. One of the 

departments of Brittany, 13 
London. The city ; mentioned, 
31. 99 

Long Meg. A Cumberland legend ; 

mentioned, 44 
Longsword, William. Earl of 
Salisbury ; identified as the 
nobleman to whom Marie of 
France dedicated her Fables, 
284 

Lorelei. A water- spirit of the 

Rhine ; mentioned, 64 
Lorgnez. A Frankish chieftain ; 
Morvan fights with, and slays, 
217-218 

Lost Daughter, The. The story 

of, 75-80 
Lot. King of Lothian, grand- 
father of St Kentigern, 357 
j Lothian. A district in Scotland, 
formerly a kingdom ; mentioned, 
357> 359 



409 



Legends <§f Romances of Brittany 



Lothian, East. A county of Scot- 
land ; mentioned, 357 

Loudeac An arrondissement of 
Brittany, 88 

Lough Neagh. A lake in Ireland ; 
according to Irish legend , the site 
of submerged city, 187 

Louis I (the Pious). King of 
France ; places the native chief- 
tain Nomenoe over Brittany, 23 ; 
St Convoyon visits , to obtain con- 
firmation of grants, 335 

Louis IX. King of France ; men- 
tioned, 208 

Louis XI. King of France ; men- 
tioned, 36, 205 

Louis XII. King of France ; 
Anne of Brittany married to, 36 

Louis XV. King of France ; 
honours the Count of La Garaye, 
195 

Louis. Baron of Jauioz ; the 

story of, 145-147 
Louvre, The. A palace in Paris ; 

mentioned, 206 
Lucius. Roman consul, sometimes 

referred to as Emperor ; King 

Arthur moves against, 275 
Luzel, F. M. His Gueyziou Breiz- 

Izel, mentioned, 211 
Lyonesse. A legendary kingdom 

near Cornwall, 257 



M 

MacCulloch, J. R. Cited, 59 n., 

70, io2, 188 n., 189 n., 381 
MacCunn, Hamish. Composer; 

mentioned, 145 
Machutes. See St Malo 
Macpherson, James. A Scottish 

poet; mentioned, 23, 211 
MacRitchie, D. Cited, 74 
Mac-tierns (' Sons of the Chief). 

A name given to Brian and Alain, 

sons of Count Eudo, 29 
Mageen. Mother of St Tivisiau, 

338 

Magic. See Sorcery 
Magic Rose, The. The story of, 
156-162 

Mahabharata. A Hindu epic ; 

mentioned, 52 
Maison des Follets. A name 

given to a megalithic structure at 

Cancoet, 49 

4IO 



Mamau, Y. Welsh deities, 87 
Man of Honour, The. The story 

of, 147-155 
Maraud. A peasant ; in the story 

of the Lost Daughter, 75-77 
March. The month ; personified 

in the story of Princess Starbright, 

128-129 

Margawse. Sister of King Arthur, 
wife of King Lot of Lothian, 
357 

Margots la Fee, Les. Fairies 
which inhabit large rocks and the 
moorlands, 88 

Marguerite. A maiden, avenged 
by Du Guesclin, 33-35 

Marie de France. A twelfth- 
century French poetess ; ac- 
knowledged Breton sources for 
her work, 255, 283 ; the Lais and 
Fables of, 283-284 ; personal 
history, 283 ; stories from the 
Lais, 284-331 ; and the Lay of 
Laustic, 302 ; and the Lay of 
Eliduc, 305-306 ; and the Lay of 
the Dolorous Knight, 328, 330- 
33i 

Mark. King of Cornwall ; in the 
story of Tristrem and Ysonde, 
258-274 

Mark. King of Vannes ; and St 

Pol of L6on, 364 
Marot, Claude Toussaint. Count 

of La Garaye ; the story of, 194- 

196 

Marriage. Costume of the bride 
in the Escoublac district, 374 ; 
the Pardon of Notre Dame de la 
Clarte made the occasion of be- 
trothals, 378 ; wedding customs, 
385-386 

Marriage-Girdle, The. The bal- 
lad of, 234-236 

Marseilles. The city ; men- 
tioned, 195 

Matsys, Quentin. A Flemish 
painter ; the well of, at Antwerp, 
205 

Matthew. Seigneur of Beauvau ; 
in the story of the Clerk of Rohan, 
189-193 

Maunoir. A Jesuit Father, 388 
Mauron. A town in Brittany ; 

battle at, 31 
May, Isle of. An island in the 

Firth of Forth, 357 
Mayenne. Charles de Lorraine, 



Glossary &? Index 



Duke of ; one of the leaders of 
the Catholic League, 229 
Megaliths. The derivation and 
meaning of the terms ' menhir ' 
and ' dolmen,' 37-38 ; nature 
and purpose of the monuments, 
38-39 ; the menhir of Dol, and 
its legend, 39-41 ; the chapel- 
dolmen at Plouaret, 41 ; the 
megaliths at Camaret, 41 ; at 
Penmarch, 41 ; at Carnac, 42-45 ; 
the tumulus at Mont-Saint-Michel , 

45 ; the dolmen at Rocenaud, 

46 ; ' cup-and-ring ' markings, 
46-48 ; the gallery of Gavr'inis, 
48 ; the megaliths of the He 
aux Moines and the He d'Arz, 
48 ; folk-beliefs associated with 
the monuments, 48-53 ; tales 
connected with them, 52 ; the 
question of the date of their erec- 
tion, 53 ; the nains' inscriptions 
upon, 97-98 ; the megaliths of 
Carnac supposed to have been 
built by the gorics, 98. See also 
Menhir and Dolmen 

Melusine. A fairy, in French folk- 
lore ; mentioned, 327 

Menao . A place in Wales ; battle 
of, 22 

Meneac. A town in Brittany ; 
megaliths at, 42 

Menhir. A megalithic monument, 
18 ; the menhir of Dol, 18, 39- 
40 ; probably connected with 
pillar-worship and Irminsul-wor- 
ship, 18 vi. ; derivation and mean- 
ing of the term, 38 ; purpose of 
the monuments, 38-39 

Meriadok. A Cornish knight ; in 
the story of Tristrem and Ysonde, 

N 269, 272 

Meriadus. A Breton chieftain; 
in the Lay of Gugemar, 299-301 

Merlin. An enchanter, in 
Arthurian legend ; meets Vivien 
in Broceliande, and is afterward 
enchanted by her there, 65-69 ; 
his relationship with Vivien as 
presented in Arthurian legend, 

69 ; the varying conceptions of, 

70 ; the typical Druid or wise 
man of Celtic tradition, 70 ; pro- 
tects Arthur in his combat with 
Sir Pellinore, 256 ; and Arthur's 
finding of Excalibur, 256-257 

Mezlean. A place in Brittany, 



362, 363 ; the Clerk of, in the 
ballad of Azenor the Pale, 361- 
363 

Milton of Colquhoun. A district 
in Scotland ; inscribed stones 
found in, 47 

Minihy. A town in Brittany ; St 
Yves' will and breviary preserved 
in the church of, 353 

Modred, Sir. Nephew of King 
Arthur ; his contest with the 
King, 344 

Moncontour. A village in Brit- 
tany, 242 

Moneduc. Mother of St Nenno- 
cha, 340 

Montagnes d'Arree, or Arez. A 
mountain chain in Brittany ; the 
Yeun in, 102 ; mentioned, 235 

Montalembert, Comte de. His 
Moines d'Occident, cited, 19 

Montfort, John of. Duke of 
Brittany (John IV) ; disputes 
the succession to the Dukedom, 
30-32, 35-36; captures the cha- 
teau of Suscino, 210 ; mentioned, 
204 

Montmorency. The house of ; 
mentioned, 174 

Montreuil-sur-Mer. A town in 
the Pas-de-Calais, France ; St 
Winwaloe's body preserved at, 

Mont-Saint-Michel. I. A tumu- 
lus, 45-46. II. An island off 
the coast of Brittany, 45 n. ; King 
Arthur's fight with the giant 
of, 275 ; mentioned, 103 

Moor, The. In a story of Mor- 
van ; Morvan's fight with, 218- 
220 ; the character of, probably 
drawn from Carlovingian legend, 
225 

Moors, The. Mentioned, 225 

Moore, Thomas. The poet ; 
quoted, 187 

Moraunt. An Irish ambassador 
at the English Court ; in the 
story of Tristrem and Ysonde, 
262-263, 264, 266 

Morbihan. I. One of the de- 
partments of Brittany, 13, 48, 
49 ; the nains' inscriptions on 
the megaliths of , 98 ; the Pardon 
of Notre Dame de la Clarte held 
in, 378. II. An inland sea or 
gulf in the south of Brittany, 



4II 



Legends Romances of Brittany 



(Gulf of Morbihan) ; naval battle 
between the Romans and Veneti 
probably took place in, 16 ; men- 
tioned, 48 

Morgan, Duke. A Cymric chief- 
tain ; in the story of Tristrem 
and Ysonde, 258-259, 261-262 

Morin. A priest, 388 

Morlaix. A town in Brittany ; 
the castle of, haunted by gorics, 

99 ; the teursts of the district of, 

100 ; in the story of the Youth 
who did not Know, 106, 107, 108, 
109 ; national costume in, 376- 
377 

Morte d'Arthur. Malory s ro- 
mance ; the presentation of 
Vivien in, 69 ; Arthur's finding 
of Excalibur related in, 256 ; 
incident in, paralleled in the Lay 
of Gugemar, 301-302 ; men- 
tioned, 257 

Morvan Lez-Breiz. A famous 
Breton hero of the ninth century, 
212 ; stories of, 2 12-224; tradition 
that he will return to " drive the 
Franks from the Breton land," 
224 

Mourioche, The. A malicious 
demon, 10 1 

Muller, W. Max. Mentioned, 358 

Murillo. A celebrated Spanish 
painter ; paintings by, in the 
chateau of Caradeuc, 207 

Mut. An Egyptian goddess ; men- 
tioned, 43 

Muzillac. A town in Brittany ; 
head-dress of the women of, 376 



N 

Nains. A race of demons ; their 
character, 96-98 ; guardians of 
hidden treasure, 99 

Namnetes. A Gallic tribe which 
inhabited Brittany, 16 

Nann, The Seigneur of. The 
story of, 57-59 

Nantes. A city in Brittany ; in 
a ballad, represented as the scene 
of magical exploits of Abelard 
and Heloise, 253 ; traditionally 
associated with sorcery, 253 ; 
Equitan the King of, 313 ; the 
scene of the Lay of the Dolorous 
Knight, 328 ; Nomenoe obtains 



possession of, 338 ; mentioned, 
17, 30, 168, 169, 170, 180, 337 
Nantes. The castle of , 205 
Neolithic Age. The race which 
built the stone monuments of 
Brittany probably belonged to, 
37 n - 

Nevet. Forest of, in Leon, 367 

Nevez. A town in Brittany, 190 

New Caledonia. An island in the 
Pacific ; markings on the mega- 
lithic monuments in, 46-47 

Nicole, The. A mischievous 
spirit, 100-10 1 

Nightingale, The Lay of the. 
One of the Lais of Marie de 
France, 302 

Night- washers. A race of super- 
natural beings, 100 

Nimue. A name under which 
Vivien, the Lady of the Lake, 
appears in some romances, 69 ; 
mentioned, 256. See Vivien 

Nogent. Sister of Gugemar, 292 

Nogent-sur-Seine. A town in 
France ; the abbey at, founded 
by Abelard, and made over by 
him to Heloise, 249 ; Abelard 
and Heloise buried at, 250 

Nola. A youth ; in the story of 
the Foster-brother, 1 70-1 71 

Nomenoe. A Breton chieftain, 
afterward King of Brittany ; 
rises against Charles the Bald 
and defeats him, 23, 337-338 ; 
a story of, 23-25 ; and St Con- 
voyon, 335, 336, 337 ; sends gifts 
to Pope Leo IV, 337 ; burns the 
abbey of Saint-Florent, 337 

Normandy. The duchy ; early 
relations of Brittany with, 27-30 

Normans. The Bretons rise 
against, 196-198 ; spread the 
Arthur legend, 254, 255 ; men- 
tioned, 338 

Norouas. Personification of the 
north-west wind ; a story of, 
163-167 

Northmen, Norsemen. Invade 
Brittany, 25 ; defeated by Alain 
Barbe-torte and expelled from 
Brittany, 25-27 ; the battle of 
Kerlouan between the Bretons 
and, 225 

North-west Wind, The. Per- 
sonification of ; a story of, 163- 
167 



412 



Glossary & Index 



Norton , Mrs . An English poetess ; 

her Lady of La Gar aye, quoted, 

194, 195- J 96 
N'Oun Doare. A youth ; in the 

story of the Youth who did not 

Know, 106-115 
Nutt, A. Cited, 99 n., 254 



O 

Oberon. King of the fairies ; 
mentioned, 74 

(Edipus. King of Thebes ; men- 
tioned, 357 

Ogier the Dane. One of the 
paladins of Charlemagne ; en- 
tered Fairyland, 326 

Olaus Magnus. A sixteenth- 
century Swedish ecclesiastic and 
writer ; mentioned, 290 

Oridial. Father of Gugemar, 292 

Origen. One of the Fathers of the 
early Church ; and St Barbe, 
333 

Orleans. The city : the siege of 
(1428-29), 174; the play or 
mystery of, on Jeanne Dare, 
175 ; mentioned, 229 

Osismii. A Gallic tribe which in- 
habited Brittany, 16 

Ossian. A semi-legendary Celtic 
bard and warrior ; mentioned, 
211 

Ossory. A district in Ireland ; 

emigration from, to Brittany, 22 
Otherworld. The Celtic, 171- 

172 ; Fairyland identified with, 

327 

Ouessant. An island off the coast 
of Brittany ; St Pol in, 365 ; the 
costume of the women of, 374- 
375 

Oust. A river in Brittany, 205 
Owain. A Welsh chieftain, son of 
Urien ; Taliesin the bard of, 22 
Owen Glendower. A Welsh chief- 
tain ; the Bretons send an ex- 
pedition to help, in his conflict 
with the English, 234 



P 

Palestine. Mentioned, 145, 190, 
269, 302 

Paraclete ('Comforter'). Name 



given by Abelard to his abbey 
at Nogent, 249 ; Abelard and 
Heloise buried at, 250 
Pardons. Religious pilgrimage 
festivals of the Bretons, 378- 
380 

Paris. The city ; mentioned, 108, 
109, 112, 113, 114, 116, 117, 118, 
119, 120-121, 156, 157, 158, 195, 
208, 229, 230-231, 351 

Paris, Gaston. A noted French 
philologist ; claims that Arthur- 
ian romance originated in Wales, 
254 ; identifies the persons to 
whom Marie de France dedicated 
her Lais and Fables, 284 

Passage de l'Enfer. An arm of 
the sea over which the Breton 
dead were supposed to be ferried, 
383 

Pat ay. A village in Loiret, 
France; the battle of, 174 

Pavia. A city in Italy ; Francis I 
of France taken prisoner at, 207 

Pellinore, Sir. One of the 
Knights of the Round Table ; 
Arthur broke his sword in com- 
bat with, 256 

Pembrokeshire. Welsh county ; 
St Samson a native of, 17 

Penates. Household gods of the 
Romans ; mentioned, 53 

Pen-bas. A cudgel carried by the 
men of Cornouaille, 372 ; rarely 
carried by the men of St Pol, 
375 

Penhapp. A village in the He aux 
Moines ; dolmen at, 48 

Penmarch. A town in Brittany ; 
megaliths at, 41 ; Ty C'harriquet 
near, 49 ; a fireplace in the church 
of St Non at, 381 

Penraz. A village in the Isle of 
Arz ; megaliths at, 48 

Pentecost. A Jewish festival ; 
mentioned, 324 

Penthievre. A former county of 
Brittany, 27, 205 

Penthievre. Joan of; wife of 
Charles of Blois, 30 ; in the War 
of the Two Joans, 31 ; her mar- 
riage to Charles, 32 

Penthievre. Stephen, Count of, 
208 

Percival. Hero of Per civ al le 
Gallois ; analogy between his 
flight and that of Morvan, 224 



413 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 



Percival le Gallois. Arthurian 

saga ; mentioned, 224 
Pere La Chique. An old man ; 

in the story of the Magic Rose, 

159-160, 162 
Perguet. A village in Brittany ; 

the fireplace in the church of St 

Bridget at, 381 
Perseus. A mythical Greek hero ; 

mentioned, 357, 358 
Perthshire. Scottish county ; 

the ' Washing Woman' in, 100 
Petranus. Father of St Patern, 

347 

Philip VI. King of France ; men- 
tioned, 30 

Picts. Tne race ; Celts flee from 
Britain to Brittany, to escape, 
17 ; the legend that they built 
the original church of Corstor- 
phine, near Edinburgh, 51 ; "wee 
fouk but unco' Strang," 99 

Pigs. St Pol taught the people to 
keep, 366 

Pillar-worship. Probable con- 
nexion of the menhir with, 18 m. 

Pillars. Tales of spirits enclosed 
in, 52 

Place of Skulls, The. In the 
story of the Bride of Satan, 
144 

Plelan. A town in Brittany ; St 

Convoyon removes to, from 

Redon, 338 
Plestin-les-Greves. A town in 

Brittany ; St Efflam buried in 

the church of, 281 
Ploermel. A town in Brittany ; 

St Nennocha founded her monas- 
tery at, 340 
Plouaret. A town in Brittany ; 

the dolmen-chapel at, 41 
Ploubalay. A town in Brittany; 

in the story of the Fisherman and 

the Fairies, 81 
Plouber. A town in Brittany, 

199, 202 

Plougastel. A town in Brittany ; 
the costume of the men of, 375 ; 
the Calvary of, 384 

Plouharnel. A village in Brit- 
tany ; megaliths at, 42 

Plourin. A village in Brittany ; 
St Budoc lived at, 356 

Poitou. A former county of 
France ; ravaged by Nomenoe, 
337 ; mentioned, 176 



Pomponius Mela. A Roman geo- 
grapher; quoted, 63 

Pont l'Abbe. A town in Brit- 
tany ; national costume in, 376 

Pont-Aven. A village in Brit- 
tany, 364 

Pontivy. A town in Brittany ; 
chapel to St Noyola at, 360 

Pontorson. A town in Brittany, 
275 

Poor, The. Regard paid to, at 
Breton festivals and ceremonies, 
387 

Porspoder. A town in Brittany ; 
St Budoc lands at, and dwells in, 

356 

Pouldergat, Mannaik de. The 
bride-to-be of Silvestik, 232 

Prague. Capital of Bohemia ; men- 
tioned, 203 

Prelati. An alchemist of Padua, 
employed by Gilles de Retz, 176, 
178-179 

Princess Starbright, The. The 
story of, 121-131 ; mentioned, 
153 

Princess of Tronkolaine.. The. 

The story of, 115-121 
Procopius. A Byzantine historian ; 

on a Breton burial custom, 

383-384 

Prop of Brittany, The. Name 
given to Morvan, chieftain of 
Leon, 212 ; stories of, 212-224 



Q 

Queban. Wife of King Grallo ; 

St Ronan discovers her fault, 368 
Quebec, The. A British vessel; 

her fight with the Surveillante 

238-240 

Queen Anne's Tower. Name of 
the keep of the chateau of Dinan, 

209 

Questembert. A town in Brit- 
tany ; the Chateau des Paul- 
piquets at, 49 

Quiberon. A town in Brittany, 

46 

Quimper. A city in Brittany ; St 

Convoyon Bishop of, 335 ; 

national costume in, 372-373 ; 

mentioned, 186, i°8 
Quimper, Count of. In a story of 

Morvan, 213, 216 



414 



Glossary 



ftP Index 



Quimperle . A town in Brittany ; 
the chateau of Rustefan near, 
208 ; St Goezenou killed at the 
building of the monastery at, 370 



R 

Rama. A hero in Hindu mytho- 
logy ; mentioned, 52 

Ramayana. A Hindu epic ; men- 
tioned, 52 

Raoul le Gael. A Breton knight, 
29 

Ravelston Quarry. A quarry 
near Edinburgh; mentioned, 51 

Redon or Rodon. A town in 
Brittany ; the abbey of : 
founded by St Convoyon, 335- 
336 ; the bones of St Apothemius 
carried to, 336 ; the bones of 
St Marcellinus carried to, 337 ; 
Nomenoe takes spoil from the 
Abbey of Saint- Florent to, 337 ; 
St Convoyon removes from, 338 ; 
St Convoyon buried at, 338 

Redones. A Gallic tribe which 
inhabited Brittany ,16 

Reginald. Bishop of Vannes, 335, 
336 

Reid, General John. The com- 
poser of The Garb of Old Gaul, 
238 

Reinach, Salomon. Cited, 53 
Religion. Brittany the most re- 
ligious of the French provinces, 
377 ; the religious element in 
the Breton character, 377-378 
Reliquaries. In Brittany, 382 
Remus. In Roman legend, brother 

of Romulus ; mentioned, 358 
Renaissance Architecture. Re- 
ferences to, 205, 206, 209 
Rene. Constable of Naples, 190 
Rennes. A city in Brittany ; the 
scene of Nomenoe's vengeance, 
23-25 ; the Counts of, gain 
ascendancy in Brittany, 27 ; the 
marriage of Charles of Blois 
and Joan of Penthievre at, 32 ; 
Robert the sorcerer dwelt in, 
242 ; Nomenoe obtains posses- 
sion of, 338 ; mentioned, 17, 181, 
i95 

Restalrig. A village near Edin- 
burgh ; the well of St Triduana 
at, 59-60 



Retiers. A town in Brittany 
the Roches aux Fees at, 51 

Retz, or Rais. A district in Brit- 
tany, 23, 174 

Retz, Cardinal de. A French 
politician and writer ; impris- 
oned in the castle of Nantes, 
205 

Retz, Gilles de. A Breton noble- 
man ; a story of, 173-180 ; the 
identification of, with Bluebeard, 
174, 180 

Revolution, French. Of 1789 ; 
mentioned, 188, 195, 338, 353, 
369 

Revue Celtique. Cited, 212 n. 
Rheinstein. A famous castle on 

the Rhine ; mentioned, 203 
Rhine. The river ; mentioned, 

203 

Rhuys. See St Gildas de Rhuys 
Rhys, Sir John. And the origin 

of Druidism, 245 ; mentioned, 

70 

Richard II. Duke of Normandy; 
mentioned, 196 

Richelieu, Cardinal. A famous 
French statesman ; the chateau 
of Tonquedec demolished by 
order of, 204 

Rieux, Jean de. Marshal of 
Brittany ; leader of the expedi- 
tion to help Owen Glendower, 
234 

Ritho. A giant whom King 

Arthur slew, 277 
Road of St Pol, The. Name given 

by Breton peasants to a mega- 

lithic avenue, 365 
Robert I. Duke of Normandy, 

28 

Robert. A sorcerer who dwelt 

in Rennes, 242-243 
Robert de Vitry. A Breton 

knight, 29 
Rocenaud. A village in Brittany ; 

dolmen at, 46 
Rocey. The house of, 174 
Roche-Marche-Bran. A rocky 

hill ; the chapel of St Barbe bulit 

on > 335 

Rocher, The Wood of. The dol- 
men near, 50 

Rochers. A Breton chateau ; 
Mme Sevigne associated with, 
208 

Roches aux Fees. Name given 



415 



Legends Romances of Brittany 



to the megalithic monuments by 
the Bretons, 49 ; near Saint- 
Didier-et-Marpire, 50 ; in Rhe- 
tiers, 51 ; supposed to be the 
meeting-place of sorcerers, 243 

Rockflower. A fairy maiden ; in 
a tale from Saint-Cast, 83 

Rodriguez, Father. Mentioned, 
47 

Roe. A river in Ireland ; Druidic 

ritual associated with, 246 
Roger. An English knight ; in 
the legend of the Ward of 
Du Guesclin, 33-35 
Rohan. The house of, 206 
Rohan. Alain, Viscount of, 189 
Rohan. Jeanne de, daughter of 
Alain de Rohan ; in the story 
of the Clerk of Rohan, 189- 
193 

Rohand. A vassal of Roland ; in 

the story of Tristrem and Ysonde, 

258-259, 260-261, 262 
Roland, Sir. A knight ; in the 

story of the Unbroken Vow, 60- 

63 

Roland Rise. A Cymric chieftain, 
Lord of Ermonie ; in the story 
of Tristrem and Ysonde, 258-259, 
261 

Rolleston, T. W. Cited, 246 
Rollo. A famous Norse leader, 
first Duke of Normandy ; men- 
tioned, 28 
Romans, The. In Brittany, 16 
Rome. The city ; mentioned, 196, 
337 

Romulus. In Roman legend, the 
founder of Rome ; mentioned, 
357. 358 

Ron. The name of King Arthur's 
lance, 280 

Rond. A dance performed at wed- 
dings, 385-386 

Rosamond. Mistress of Henry II 
of England (Rosamond Clifford, 
' the Fair Rosamond ' ) ; men- 
tioned, 284 

Ros-ynys. A place in Wales, 
afterward St David's ; a story of 
St Keenan and, 343-344 

Round Tower. At Ardmore, 
Ireland, 51 ; at Abernethy, Perth- 
shire, 52 

Rumengol. A village in Brittany ; 
the Pardon of the Singers held at, 
378 



S 

Sacring Bells. The use of, an 
old Breton custom, 380 

St Anne. A Breton saint ; Mor- 
van prays to, 216-217; Morvan 
rewards with gifts, 218 ; Morvan 
gives praise to, for his victory 
over the Moor, 220 ; frees Mor- 
van from his burden, 224; men- 
tioned, 146 

S ainte- Anne-la- Palud. A village 
in Brittany ; the Pardon of the 
Sea held at, 378 

St Apothemius. St Convoyon 
steals the bones of, from Angers 
Cathedral, and takes them to 
Redon, 336 

St Augustine. Archbishop of Can- 
terbury ; mentioned, 100 

St Baldred. A Celtic saint, 359- 
360 

St Baldred's Boat. A rock in 
the Firth of Forth ; the legend 

of, 359 

St Barbe. A Breton saint, 332-335 

Sainte-Barbe. A village in Brit- 
tany ; megaliths at, 42 

St Bieuzy. A Breton saint, 345- 
346; the Holy Well of, at 
Bieuzy, 381 

St Bridget. An Irish saint ; 
Azenor prays to, and is helped 
by. 354 I church of, at Berhet, 
the custom of ringing the sacring 
bell survives in, 380 ; church of, 
at Perguet, the fireplace in, 381 

Saint-Brieuc. I. An arrondisse- 
ment of Brittany, 88, 350. II. 
A town in Brittany ; a relic 
of St Keenan preserved in the 
cathedral of, 344 

Saint-Brieuc, Bay of. A bay on 
the Breton coast ; the Nicole of, 
100 ; mentioned, 18, 350 

St Budoc. A Breton saint; the 
legend of, 353-356 

Saint-Cast. A village in Brit- 
tany ; in the story of the Lost 
Daughter, 75 ; a story from, 84 ; 
the story of the Combat of, 236- 
237 ; mentioned, 83 

St Cecilia's Day. Ceremonies in 
honour of King Gradlon on, 189 

St Charles. Jesuit church of, at 
Antwerp ; relics of St Winwaloe 
preserved at, 371 



416 



Glossary & Index 



St Convoyon. A Breton saint, 
335-33 8 

St Corbasius. A Breton saint ; 

kills St Goezenou, 370 
St Cornely. A Breton saint, the 

patron of cattle ; in a legend of 

Carnac, 44-45 
St David's. A city in Wales, 

originally called Ros-ynys ; in 

a story of St Keenan, 344 
Saint-Denis. A famous abbey, in 

the city of Saint-Denis, in France ; 

Du Guesclin buried in, 32 
Saint-Didier. A village in Brit- 
tany ; the Roches aux Fees near, 

50 

St Dubricus. A British saint ; 

mentioned, 346 
St Dunstan. A British saint, 

called St Goustan in Brittany, 

248-249 

St Efflam. A Breton saint ; 
and King Arthur's encounter 
with the dragon of the Lieue de 
Greve, 278-281 ; the story of St 
Enora and, 340-342 ; mentioned, 
366 

St Enora, or Honora. A Breton 
saint ; the story of Efflam and, 
279, 281, 340-342 

Saint-Florent. A town in France ; 
Nomenoe and the abbey of, 337 

St Gall. A famous monastery in 
Switzerland ; mentioned, 247 

St Germain. A French saint, 
Bishop of Paris ; the exchange of 
wax for wine between St Samson 
and, 19; persuades Nennocha 
to embrace the religious life, 340 

St Gildas. A British saint ; in 
the story of Comorre the Cursed, 
181, 183-184 ; founded the abbey 
of St Gildas de Rhuys, near 
Vannes, 248-249 

St Gildas de Rhuys. An abbey 
near Vannes ; founded by St 
Gildas, 248-249 ; Abelard ap- 
pointed abbot of , 248 ; St Bieuzy 
died and was buried at, 346 ; St 
Patern educated at, 348 

St Goezenou. A Breton saint, 
368-370 

St Goustan. The Breton name 

of St Dunstan, 249 
St Henwg. See Henwg 
St Honora, or Enora. See St 

Enora 

2 D 



St Iltud. A Welsh saint ; in a 
legend of St Samson, 349 ; St Pol 
a disciple of, 364; mentioned, 
346 

St Ives. See St Yves. 

Saint -Jacut - de - la -Mer. A vil- 
lage in Brittany ; in the story 
of the Fisherman and the Fairies, 
80, 84 

St Jaoua. A Breton saint, 366 
Saint- Jean-du-Doigt. A village 
in Brittany ; the Pardon of the 
Fire held at, 378, 379 
St John. A Breton saint, 197 
St Kado. A Breton saint ; men- 
tioned, 197 
St Ke, or St Quay. Popular name 

in Brittany for St Keenan, 344 
St Keenan. A Breton saint, 343- 
344 

St Kentigern, or St Mungo. 
Patron saint of Glasgow ; the 
legend of, 356-357 ; mentioned, 
7°. 359 

St Lazarus. The Order of ; Louis 

XV sends to the Count of La 

Garaye, 195 
St Leonorius, or Leonore. A 

Breton saint, 346-347 
St Louis. See Louis IX 
St Magan . A Breton saint , brother 

of St Goezenou, 370 
St Malglorious. A Breton saint, 

356 

St Malo, or Machutes. A Breton 
saint ; the people of Corseul 
hostile to the teachings of, 343 

S aint-Malo . A town in Brittany ; 
the scene of the Lay of Laustic, 
302 ; St Convoyon born near, 
335 ; mentioned, 230 

Saint-Malo, Bay of. The Nicole 
of, 100-101 

St Marcellinus. Bishop of Rome ; 
the bones of, given to St Con- 
voyon by Pope Leo IV, and 
taken by him to Redon, 337 

St Meriadec. A Breton saint ; 
his skull used in the ritual of the 
Pardon of Saint-Jean-du-Doigt, 
379 

St Michael. The archangel ; chapel 
of, on the tumulus of Mont- 
Saint-Michel, 46 ; the child 
Morvan thinks he has seen, 213 ; 
Morvan thinks a knight more 
splendid than, 214 

417 



Legends Romances of Brittany 



St Michel. A Breton saint, ' Lord 
of Heights ' ; a chapel of, near 
Le Faouet, 333 
St Mungo. See St Kentigern 
St Nennocha. A Breton saint, 340 
St Nicholas. A Breton saint ; 
probably the survival of a pagan 
divinity, 345 
St Nicolas de Bieuzy. Church 

of, in Bieuzy, 180 
St Non. A Breton saint ; a fire- 
place in the church of, at Pen- 
march, 381 
St Noyala. A Breton saint, 360 
St Patern. A Breton saint, 347- 
349 

St Pol, or Paul. Of Leon; a 
Breton saint, 248, 364-367 

Saint-Pol-de-Leon. A town in 
Brittany ; the bell of St Pol in 
the cathedral of, 367 ; St Pol 
buried in the cathedral of , 367 ; the 
cathedral of, built by St Pol, 
367 ; costume of the men of, 375 ; 
mentioned, 237, 365, 366 

St Roch. A Breton saint ; shrine 
of, at Auray, 42 ; and the mark- 
ings on the dolmen at Rocenaud, 
46 

St Ronan. A Breton saint, 367 
St Samson. A British saint ; 

settles in Brittany, 17-19 ; St 

Gildas the friend of, 248 ; stories 

of, 349-350 ; St Pol of Leon a 

fellow-student of, 364 
St Serf. A Scottish saint, abbot 

of Culross, 357 
Saint-Thegonnec. A town in 

Brittany ; the Calvary at, 384 
St Tivisiau, or Turiau. A Breton 

saint, 338-339 ; the fountain of, 

at Landivisiau, 340 
St Tremeur. A Breton saint, son 

of Comorre ; the reliquary in 

the church of, 382 
St Triduana. Guardian of a well 

at Restalrig, near Edinburgh, 59- 

60 

St Triphyne. A Breton saint ; wife 
of Comorre, 180. See Triphyna 

St Tugdual. A Breton saint ; 
founded the church of Treguier, 
167 ; made a miraculous crossing 
to Brittany, 360 

St Turiau. See St Tivisiau 

St Vougas, or Vie. A Breton 
saint, 360 

418 



St Winwaloe. A Breton saint, 

37°-37i 

St Yves, or Yvo. Brittany's fa- 
vourite saint, 350-353 

Saint- Yves. A village in Brittany ; 
the Pardon of the Poor held at, 

378 

Saints. Stories of, an important 
element in Breton folk-lore, 332 ; 
the primitive saint driven to use 
methods similar to those of the 
pagan priests around him, 332 ; 
tales of the Breton saints, 332- 
371 ; the product of poor 
countries rather than of pros- 
perous ones, 350 

Saintsbury, G. E. B. Cited, 254 

Salomon III. Count of Brittany ; 
drives back the Northmen, 25 

Sant-e-roa (' Holy Wheel '). Ap- 
paratus of the sacring bell ; at the 
church of St Bridget, Berhet, 380 

Satan. A story of, 143-144; Gilles 
de Retz seeks association with, 
177-179 ; in an old Breton concep- 
tion of Hell, 389. See also Devil 

Saxons. The race ; Celts flee from 
Britain to Brittany to escape, 
15. 17 

Scotland. Markings on the mega- 
lithic monuments in, 46-47 ; 
the harp formerly the national 
instrument of, 229 ; claimed as 
the birthplace of Arthurian ro- 
mance, 254 ; late survival of the 
custom of keeping domestic bards 
in, 364 ; mentioned, 52 

Scots. The race ; Celts flee from 
Britain to Brittany to escape, 17 

Scott, Sir Walter. The novelist ; 
his treatment of legendary 
matter, 211 ; one of the first 
to bring the story of Tristrem to 
public notice, 258 ; continued 
the story of Tristrem beyond the 
point at which the Auchinleck 
MS. breaks off, 272 

Sea of Darkness, The. In the 
story of the Castle of the Sun, 132 

Sea-snake's Egg. See Adder's 
Stone 

Sebillot, Paul. Cited, 52, 212 n.\ 
mentioned, 74 ; and the story of 
the Combat of Saint-Cast, 237 n. 

Seigneur with the Horse's 
Head, The. The story of, 137- 
143 



Glossary & Index 



Seigneur of Nann, The. The 
story of, 57-59 

Sein. See He de Sein 

Seriphos. An island in the JEgean 
Sea to which Danae was carried ; 
mentioned, 358 

Seven Saints of Brittany. St 
Samson and six others who fled 
with him from Britain, 350 

Seven Sleepers, The. Seven 
Christian youths of Ephesus who 
hid to escape persecution and 
slept for several hundreds of 
years ; an altar to, in the dolmen- 
chapel at Plouaret, 41 

Severn. The river ; mentioned, 
349 

Sevigne, Mme de. A famous 
French epistolary writer ; so- 
journed in the castle of Nantes, 
205 ; wrote many of her letters 
from the chateau of Rochers, 
208 

Sharpe, Charles Kirkpatrick. 
An antiquary and writer, friend 
of Sir Walter Scott ; his treat- 
ment of legendary material, 
211 

Shew alton Sands. A place in 
Scotland ; inscribed stones found 
at, 47 

Ship, The. A rock off the coast of 
Brittany, said to have been the 
vessel of St Vougas, 360 

Ship o' the Fiend , The. Orchestral 
work by Hamish MacCunn ; men- 
tioned, 145 

Ship of Souls . A feature in Breton 
folk-belief, 384 

Sight, Magical. Bestowed by 
fairies, 82-83 

Silvestik. A young Breton who 
followed in the train of William 
the Conqueror to England ; the 
story of, 232-233 

Simrock, C. J. Cited, 83 

Skye. An island off the west 
coast of Scotland ; the ' Washing 
Woman ' in, 100 

Slieve Grian. A mountain in 
Ireland ; mentioned, 52 

Small, A. Cited, 52 

SOCIETE ACADEMIQUE DE BREST, 

Bulletin de. Cited, 199 n. 
Song of the Pilot, The. A 

Breton ballad, 238-240 
Sorcery. Belief in, prevalent in 



Brittany, 241-243 ; in ancient 
times, identified with Druidism, 
245 

South-west Wind, The. Per- 
sonification of, in a wind-tale, 

163 

Souvestre, Emile. A French 
novelist and dramatist ; men- 
tioned, 180 

Spain. Tristrem in, 270 ; the 
giant of Mont-Saint-Michel came 
from, 275 

Spenser, Edmund. The poet ; 
mentioned, 56 

Stones . Folk-tales and beliefs con- 
nected with, 52-53 

Styx. In Greek mythology, a 
river of the underworld ; men- 
tioned, 327 

Sun, The. Personified in the story 
of the Princess of Tronkolaine, 
1 1 7-1 18 ; the story of Tristrem 
and Ysonde claimed as a sun- 
myth, 274-275 ; personified in 
the ' fatal children ' stories, 
358 

Sun-Princess. A story of the 

search for, 121-131 
Surouas. Name of the south-west 

wind ; in a wind-tale, 163 
Surveillante, Le. A Breton 

vessel ; her fight with the British 

ship Quebec, 238-240 
Susannus. Bishop of Vannes, 336- 

337 

Suscino. A Breton chateau, 209- 
210 

Swinburne, Algernon. The poet ; 
quoted, 267 



T 

Taden. A village in Brittany ; 

the Count and Countess of La 

Garaye buried at, 195 
Taliesin (' Shining Forehead '). A 

British bard ; and the vision of 

Jud-Hael, 20-21 ; early years, 

21 ; the bard of Urien and 
Owain-ap-Urien, 22 ; death of, 

22 ; probably sojourned in Brit- 
tany, 22 ; acquainted with black 
art, 252 

Tam o' Shanter. The character 
in Burns's poem; mentioned, 
244 



419 



Legends @f Romances of Brittany 



Tantallon Castle. A famous 
ruin in Scotland ; mentioned, 

359 

Tartary. The country ; men- 
tioned, 115 

Tegid, Llyn. A lake in Wales 
(Lake Bala) ; the dwelling-place 
of Keridwen, a fertility goddess, 
59 

Telio. A British monk, associated 
with St Samson ; said to have 
introduced the apple into Brit- 
tany, 18 

Teursta Poulict. A variety of 
the teursts taking animal shape, 
100 

Teursts. A race of evil spirits, 
100 

Teus, or Bugelnoz. A beneficent 
spirit of the district of Vannes, 
100 

Then aw. Mother of St Kentigern, 
357 

Thierry, J. N. A. A French his- 
torian ; quoted , 1 7 

Thomas the Rhymer, or Thomas 
of Ercildoune. Thirteenth- 
century Scottish poet ; his ver- 
sion of the story of Tristrem and 
Ysonde, 258 et seq . ; visited 
Fairyland, 326 ; mentioned, 64, 
255- 327 

Thouars, Catherine de. Wife of 

Gilles de Retz , 1 74 
Thouars, Guy de. A French 

knight ; married to Constance of 

Brittany, 30 
Tiber. The river; mentioned, 

358 

Tina. A maiden ; in the story 
of the Baron of Jauioz, 145- 
147 

Titania. Queen of the fairies ; 

mentioned, 74 
Tonquedec. A Breton chateau, 

204 

Topography of Ireland. A work 
by Giraldus Cambrensis ; cited, 
187 

Torrent of Portugal, Sir. A 
fifteenth-century English metrical 
romance; mentioned, 358 

Toulboudou. A seigneury near 
Guemene, 334 

Toulboudou. John, Lord of ; 
builds the chapel of St Barbe at 
Le Faouet, 334-335 



Tour d'Elven. A keep of the 
chateau of Largoet, 206 

Tourlaville. A Breton chateau, 
208-209 

Tower of London, The. Charles 
of Blois confined in, 31 ; the 
name of, occurs frequently in 
Celtic and Breton romance, 99 

Traprain Law. A mountain in 
East Lothian, formerly called 
Dunpender ; Thenaw cast from, 
357 

Treasure, J. P. Cited, 16 n. 
Tredrig. A village in Brittany ; 
, St Yves the incumbent of, 
35i 

Trees. Tales of spirits enclosed 
in, 52 

Tregastel. A town on the 
Breton coast ; an island near 
believed by the Bretons to be the 
fabled Isle of Avalon, 282 

Treguennec. A village in Brit- 
tany ; St Vougas associated with, 
360 

Treguier. I. A former county 
of Brittany, 27, 350. II. A 
town in Brittany ; St Yves buried 
at, 353 ; a burial custom of, 
383; mentioned, 167, 168, 237, 
35o. 

Tregunc. A town in Brittany ; 

dolmen at 42 
Tremalouen. A hamlet in Brit- 
tany ; ruins at, haunted by 

courils, 99 
Tremtris. Inverted form of 

Tristrem's name given him by 

Rohand to secure his safety, 259 ; 

Tristrem assumes the name in 

Ireland, 264, 266 
Tr£p asses, Bay of. A bay on the 

Breton coast, 185 
Treves. A village in Brittany; 

had a reputation as the abode of 

sorcerers, 242 
Tridwan. See St Triduana 
Trieux. A river in Brittany, 203, 

204 

Triphyna (St Triphyne). A 
maiden, married to Comorre, 
180-184 

Tristrem, Sir (' Child of Sorrow '). 
One of the Knights of the Round 
Table, son of Blanch eflour ; the 
story of, and Ysonde, 257-275 ; 
mentioned, 301 



42O 



Glossary 



&* Index 



Tristrem, Sir. An ancient metri- 
cal romance ; incidents in, par- 
alleled in the story of Bran, 227- 
228 ; date of composition of, 
228 ; had a Breton source, 255 ; 
Sir Walter Scott one of the first 
to bring Thomas the Rhymer's 
version of, to public notice, 258 ; 
Thomas the Rhymer's version of, 
recounted, 258-272 ; Scott's con- 
tinuation of the Auchinleck MS., 
272-274 ; the story of Tristrem 
and Ysonde claimed as a sun- 
myth, 274-275 

Trogoff. The chateau of ; in the 
legend of the Ward of Du Gues- 
clin, 33-35 

Trollope, T. Adolphus. Quoted, 
179-180 

Tromenie - de - Saint - Ren an. A 
town in Brittany ; the Pardon 
of the Mountain held at, 378, 
379 

Troyes. A city in France ; Abe- 
lard's abbey of Nogent near, 
249 

Tugdual Salaun. A peasant of 
Plouber, composer of a ballad on 
the Marquis of Guerande, 199, 
202 

Ty C'harriquet (' The House of 
the Gorics'). I. A name given 
to a megalithic structure near 
Penmarch, 49. II. A name ap- 
plied to Carnac, 98 

Ty en Corygannt. A name given 
to a megalithic structure in Mor- 
bihan, 49 



U 

Unbroken Vow, The. A story of 

Broceliande, 60-63 
United States, The. The Bretons 

aid, in the War of Independence, 

238 

Urien. A Welsh chieftain ; Talie- 
sin the bard of, 21, 22 



V 

Val-Es-Dunes. A place in Brit- 
tany ; Alain, Count of Brittany, 
defeated in battle at, 28 

Valley of Blood. A place in 



hell ; in the story of the Baron 
of Jauioz, 146 
Vannes. I. A former county of 
Brittany ; mentioned, 23, 180. 
II. The city ; the dialect of, 16 
and n. ; the ancient city of the 
Veneti, 17 ; the Teus or Bugelnoz 
of, 100 ; in the story of Comorre 
the Cursed, 183 ; the chateau of 
Suscino near, 209 ; the abbey of 
St Gildas near, 248 ; St Convoyon 
educated at, 335 ; St Patern the 
patron saint of, 347 ; St Patern 
Bishop of, 348 ; the legend of the 
founding of the church of St 
Patern at, 348 ; St Pol of Leon 
in, 364 

Veneti. A Gallic tribe which in- 
habited Brittany, 16, 17 

' Venus, The.' An image at Quini- 
pily, 381 

Vilaine. A river in Brittany, 335 

Villars, Abbe de. A French 
priest and writer ; cited, 64 

Villecheret. A village in Brit- 
tany ; the head-dress of the 
women of, 375 

Villemarque. See Hersart de la 
Villemarque 

Vine, The. Said to have been in- 
troduced into Brittany by Grad- 
lon, 189 

Virgin Mary, The. In a Breton 

legend, 380 
Vitre . A Breton chateau, 208 
Vivien. An enchantress, in 
Arthurian legend ; meets Merlin 
in Broceliande, and afterward 
enchants him there, 65-69 ; as 
presented in Arthurian legend 
and in other romances, 69 ; may 
be classed as a water-spirit, 69 ; 
the probable purpose of the story 
of Merlin and, in Arthurian leg- 
end, 70 ; of Breton origin, and 
does not appear in British myth, 
256 ; gives Arthur the sword 
Excalibur, 256-257; Sir Lance- 
lot stolen and brought up by, 257 



W 

Wace. A twelfth-century Anglo- 
Norman poet ; quoted, 54 ; and 
the fountain of Baranton, 71 



421 



Legends & Romances of Brittany 



Wagner, Richard. The com- 
poser ; mentioned, 258 

Wales. Legend of the submerged 
city in, 187, 188 ; the harp 
anciently the national instrument 
of, 229 ; Bretons send an expedi- 
tion to, to help Glendower, 234 ; 
claimed as the birthplace of 
Arthurian romance, 254; helped 
the development of Arthurian 
romance, 255 ; Tristrem sojourns 
in, and wins fame there, 270 ; 
mentioned, 59, 343 

War of Independence, Ameri- 
can. Bretons take part in, 
against England, 238 

War of the Two Joans, The. A 
war waged for the succession to 
the Dukedom of Brittany, 31-32, 
35-3 6 

Ward of Du Guesclin, The. A 
Du Guesclin legend, 33-35 

Washing Woman, The. An evil 
spirit of the Scottish Highlands, 
100 

Wedding Customs. In Brittany, 
385-386. See also Marriage 

Wells, Holy. In Brittany, 381- 
382 

Welsh. The language; the Breton 
tongue akin to, 15 

Were- wolf. A man transformed 
into a wolf ; the prevalence, 
origin, and forms of the supersti- 
tion, 289-292 ; a were- wolf story, 
284-289 

Westminster. The city ; in the 
story of Tristrem and Ysonde, 
Ysonde carried to, for trial, 
270 

Wexford. A county of Ireland; 
emigration from, to Brittany, 
22 

Wheel of Fortune, The. A 
name wrongly given to part 
of the apparatus of the sacring 
bell, 380 

White Church. A church in 
Treguier ; in the story of the 
Foster-brother, 170, 171 

William II. Duke of Normandy 
(William the Conqueror) ; Conan 
II of Brittany and, 27, 28-29; 
Bretons accompany, on his ex- 
pedition against England, 232, 
233 

William, Count. The name of 
422 



the nobleman to whom Marie of 
France dedicated her Fables, 
identified with Longsword, Earl 
of Salisbury, 283-284 

Winds, The. Play a large part in 
Breton folk-lore, 162 ; a wind- 
tale, 163-167 

Wine. St Germain exchanges for 
wax from the monks of Dol, 19 ; 
a wine festival in honour of King 
Gradlon, 189 

Women. In early communities, 
magical power often the posses- 
sion of, 246 ; generally the con- 
servators of surviving Druidic 
tradition, 247 ; St Goezenou's 
antipathy to, 369 ; costume of 
the women of Brittany — see 
Costume and Head-dress 

Wood of Chestnuts. Mentioned 
in a story of Morvan, 217 



Y 

Yeun, The. A morass of evil 
repute, 102-103; a story of, 
103-105 

York. The city, in England; St 
Samson ordained at, 349 

Youdic, The. A part of the Yeun 
peat-bog, 103 ; a story of, 103- 
105 

Youghal. A town in Ireland ; 
Azenor and the infant Budoc 
washed ashore at, 355 ; Budoc 
becomes abbot of the monastery 
at, 356 

Youghal, Abbot of. In the legend 

of St Budoc, 355, 356 
Youth who did not Know. The 

story of, 106-115 
Ys, or Is. A submerged city of 

legend ; the legend of, 184-188 ; 

such a legend common to several 

Celtic races, 187 ; Giraldus Cam- 

brensis and the legend of, 187- 

188 

Yseult. See Ysonde 

Ysonde, or Yseult. Daughter of 
the King of Ireland ; some inci- 
dents in her story paralleled in 
the ballad of Bran, 228 ; the 
story of Tristrem and, 257-274; 
the story of Tristrem and, 
claimed as a sun-myth, 274-275 



d n ~ ft <h 



Glossary & Index 



YSONDE OF THE WHITE HAND, 

Daughter of Hoel I, Duke of Brit- 
tany ; in the story of Tristrem 
and Ysonde, 271, 273 

Yves. Husband of Azenor the 
Pale, 361-363 

Yvon. A youth ; in the story of 
the Castle of the Sun, 131-137 



Yvonne. A maiden ; in the story 
of the Castle of the Sun, 131- 
137 



Zimmer, H. Cited, 2' 



4 2 3 



J 






-mm}!,' v 




:J JAN 7 9; 

^ ST. AUGUSTINE 



